Culture Discovery Vacations Marks 20 Years of Anti-Extractive Travel, Returning to the Italian Village Where It Began
TAMPA, Fla., June 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Culture Discovery Vacations (CDV), the boutique experiential travel company operated by Culture Discovery Inc, is marking its 20th anniversary in 2026 and celebrating where it all started: the medieval hilltop village of Soriano nel Cimino, Italy.
What began in 2006 as a single-destination operation in one Italian town has grown into a multi-country company built on a model it calls anti-extractive tourism: small-group cultural and culinary immersion designed so that the value of travel stays in the communities that host it. On July 16, 2026, CDV will bring together its locally owned partners from across its destinations worldwide for an anniversary celebration in Soriano nel Cimino, the village that remains its home base.
"Twenty years ago, this was one experiment in one village, the radical idea that travelers wanted to belong somewhere, not just look at it," said Michael Kovnick, Founder and CEO of Culture Discovery Vacations. "We're celebrating in Soriano because that's where it started, and because the families and partners who built this with us are the company. The party is for them."
The anniversary arrives amid the company's strongest demand to date. Two of CDV's newest programs sold out before they could be formally announced. A new Catalonia, Spain program launching October 2026, focused deliberately on the region beyond Barcelona and immersing small groups in inland towns, family wineries, and culinary traditions most visitors never reach, sold out overnight. A Madeira, Portugal program for New Year's Eve 2026/2027 sold out before public announcement. Travelers interested in future Catalonia and Madeira departures can join the waitlist or ask about 2027 dates by contacting CDV directly.
CDV has also expanded beyond leisure travel with the launch of Culture Discovery Corporate Retreats & Incentives, its new division for corporate retreats, offsite meetings, and incentive travel. Led by partner Marta Marques from CDV's Porto, Portugal office, the division debuted at IMEX Frankfurt, bringing CDV's anti-extractive, locally rooted model to the corporate market.
The throughline across all of it is the structural model documented in Kovnick's 2025 research, "Existential Sustainability: A Structural Approach to Anti-Extractive Tourism." CDV's model retains more than 70% of guest spending within local economies, versus the 20-30% typical of conventional tourism, through zero vendor commissions, deliberate small-group volume caps, and a requirement that all destination partners be 100% locally owned family businesses.
Today CDV runs small-group programs across Italy, Sicily, Portugal, Spain, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Argentina, and Uruguay, operating from offices in Tampa, Florida; Soriano nel Cimino, Italy; and Porto, Portugal. The company is led by four partners: Michael Kovnick (Founder and CEO), Paola Kovnick (Co-Founder and CFO), Daniele Pintaudi (COO), and Marta Marques (CSO). CDV holds a Tripadvisor Hall of Fame designation and the 2025 Travel Weekly Magellan Gold Award for Best Service.