Ecco Adventures aim to provide travelers with authentic Italian experiences. They focus on Northern Italy to create one-of-a-kind travel experiences. Their trips will allow you to feel immersed in and engaged with true Italian culture.

Ecco was founded in April of 2017. The idea for Ecco Adventures came out of Andre’s passion for travel, specifically in Northern Italy. Andre began visiting Italy while he was in college — he studied abroad during his junior year of college in 2009. Italy sparked a sense of curiosity in him. This pushed him to want to learn more about the people, the language, the food, and the Italian culture.

Andre’s taste for adventure grew even more so during his senior year in college. Right before graduation, his friend asked him to accompany her on a cross-country biking trip. This cross-county trip took about two months to complete. There were no smartphones or GPS, so they learned to talk to people to ask for directions and study their environment in order to get where needed to go. After college, Andre moved to Italy to teach English and took up a Masters program in anthropology.

Andre has always been a traveler. During his travels, he loves that he gets the opportunity to meet new people. He also feels a sense of fulfillment when it is over. Andre wanted to share this feeling with as many people as he could. So, he decided to open this adventure service. Andre chose the phrase “Ecco” for the business’ name, which, in Italian, means “there it is.” Ecco works out of Milan, Italy.

Ecco Adventures offers different trip styles and lengths depending on what you are looking for. Their trips range from one-day to three-day outings. The tip packages include amazing activities such as hiking, kayaking, zip lining, cheese making, and wine production.

Listen to Andre’s full story on episode 9 of the Small Business Saturday Philadelphia Podcast.

You can follow Ecco Adventures’ journey on Facebook and Instagram. Their website offers more background information on their business and current trip offerings.