ABOUT US
We help people experience Italy's...
FAR FLUNG PLACES
FADING TRADITIONS
& PHENOMENAL NATURE
...through genuine connection with locals.
WHAT WE DO
Creative Edge Travel helps you think outside the guidebook to get off-the-map and into the everyday life of authentic Italy. We create experiences around the passions of our local friends and add our own creative edge to ensure it’s something meaningful and special.
Whether in the rarely-visited mountains of Tuscany or the hidden corners of Sicily, off-the-beaten-path is what we do. We know you can get yourself to the David or the Colosseum (and you should) but our focus is bringing travelers deeper into the everyday life of Italy, where our friends and artisans are waiting to share their way of life with you.
WHY WE DO IT
Getting off-the-beaten-path lessens the strain on overtouristed destinations and spreads the economic opportunity to smaller communities. It helps keep fading traditions and villages alive! And if we can help with that, well we're all in! Are you?
THE CREATIVE EDGE EXPERIENCE
Relaxed Time with Locals
We invite our Italian friends to hang out with us so you'll have opportunities to get to know locals in a relaxed atmosphere.
Free time to Make Your Own Discoveries
Wander or reflect, the choice is yours. (We recommend both, followed by gelato!)
*Actually* Small Groups
Contrary to other claims, 30 is not a small group. 15 is not a small group. But 7 guests total? Now that's a small group!
Opportunities to Connect with Nature
We believe you can't truly understand a culture until you understand the landscape that inspired it all.
Pre-trip Resources to Put It All in Context
You’ll receive information and quick language tips so by the time you lay eyes on your first gelateria, you’ll be able to order in Italian.
WHO WE ARE
FRIENDS & PARTNERS
From our group of friends in Apulia who love to go to Pizzica folk dance events to the wonderful family in Florence that feeds us heaps of homemade food each time we visit, our Italian friends and partners are truly like family. We are so lucky to work with such warm and generous souls, and they, too, feel happy for the opportunity to share their world with curious guests.
FROM THE FOUNDER
Ciao, I'm Sierra Busch and I design cultural immersion trips for those who want to get off-the-beaten-path in Italy and connect with the local experience.
In 2011, I chose to study art in a tiny, hilltop town in Tuscany. I loved the cobblestone streets and the patchwork views that went forever. I loved getting to know the man who would sell me my vegetables and the woman who scooped my gelato. And I loved who I was there, a new and exciting side of myself laying dormant for all my life.
Being able to speak the language opened doors to experiences I never imagined I'd have. I had discovered a way of living so beautiful that I couldn’t stop thinking about it. My roommate even told me that I spoke Italian in my sleep. I continued exploring its many regions. From the tall mountains in the north to the sunny heel of the boot in the south, I scoured maps for Italy's hidden secrets, connecting with locals and soaking up the authentic everyday life along the way.
It was then that I started to dream. I saw so many tourists making a beeline for just the famous sites...They'd raise their cameras without ever actually taking in the scene themselves and connecting with the context and history. I knew how meaningful their travels could be if they only knew how to access the authentic Italy that I'd been so lucky to know.
So I began a career in travel in NYC, where I worked for top agencies and startups, planning luxury vacations for VIP clients. I worked for a tour operator in Southern Italy. And just for the fun of it, I started a group called Travelistas United for other women entrepreneurs in travel which has grown to 430+ members.
Living half the year in Italy and the other half at home in the Appalachian mountains, my goal is to bring my guests meaningful travel experiences that will forever connect them to the genuine spirit of Italy that so many never quite reach.
I want to help you experience Italy's far-flung places, fading traditions, and phenomenal nature through genuine connection with locals. I hope you'll join me in seeing what emerges in bella Italia...
travel with heart
With over 1.4 billion people traveling the world, it’s never been more important to make conscious decisions about how you travel and where your dollars go.
With Creative Edge...
Your Carbon Footprint is automatically offset.
Your dollars go to locals wherever possible.
You'll have guidance on where to buy authentic, quality goods so that you're supporting tradition, not tourist traps.
You'll lessen the strain on overtouristed destinations.
You'll spread economic opportunity to smaller communities.
You'll eat local, seasonal, slow food.
You'll learn about the political and geographical factors impacting the culture and communities.
