Our Story &The NYU Connection
 

Founded by a NYU alumnus and his wife, Destination Partners is in many ways both a result and reflection of the global education espoused by New York University.

Destinations Partners is a travel management company dedicated to helping universities, non-profits and corporations source, plan, manage & execute enriching travel programs and experiences, all over the world, from groups of ten to hundreds.

Our approach is to apply a high touch & innovative programming and management approach to ensure successful programs that will connect people from around the world, making us all better global citizens.
 

Company Timeline
 

1978-1980: Founder Adam Carter gets his MBA in International Marketing from NYU Stern School of Business, with a semester spent in Rio de Janeiro, on Professor Ed Altman’s original ISP program

 

1980-1984:Adam works in Account Management on Madison Avenue for J Walter Thompson and Ogilvie & Mather, honing his business planning and account management skills.
 

1984: Adam opens Brazil Nuts Tours, a special interest tour company focusing on unique and off the beaten tack travel experiences to Brazil. Soon expands to rest of South America. Company continues today as leader in this field.

2001: After circumnavigating the globe on the floating university Semester at Sea (a major client), Adam and wife and partner Maria Luisa Carter decide to expand the "high touch/ innovating programming” model of Brazil Nuts globally and launch Destination Partners.
 

2002: First NYU group handled outside of South America: Gallatin Scholars Group to Ghana.
 

2002-2014: Over 100 NYU Groups consisting of over 5,000 NYU students are successfully programmed and managed to 40 different destinations internationally and domestically.
 

2011: Non-profit foundation Bee Gaia established by Adam and Maria Luisa, one goal being to connect US students to the many social projects Destination Partners has aided over the years: Haiti, Ghana, Bhutan, the Brazilian Amazon and Naples, Florida. www.houseofgaia.org
 

2014: Long time goal of being appointed a preferred travel management company for NYU group travel realized. Thank you NYU!

 

 

The NYU Account Team

 

Destination Partners has dedicated a team of seasoned travel management professionals to attend to the unique needs of the many different types of group travel clients at NYU

 

 

Julie Sivertson
Commercial Director

Julie has been working in the travel industry, operating, managing, and guiding unique travel programs worldwide, for 10 years. Travel is not only a job but also a passion. Through both work and personal travel, Julie has had the opportunity to experience more than 40 countries and has spent 5 years living abroad in New Zealand and France. She has worked in a variety of exciting destinations worldwide including a semester coordinating student travel programs on the Semester at Sea 50th anniversary Atlantic Exploration voyage as well as managing the on-site operations of more than 60 groups per year in northern Manitoba, Canada for the annual polar bear migration. She has managed active vacations throughout Europe and North America, natural history and wildlife focused travel for the World Wildlife Fund’s exclusive travel provider in multiple countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas, and educational travel worldwide for both Semester at Sea and Destination Partners. Working at Destination Partners gives Julie the opportunity to facilitate invaluable educational experiences through university travel programs by providing the coordination and support necessary to fit each group’s needs.
 

Julia Kasid
Senior Account Executive

After graduating from University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in Business Management, Julia joined the administration as Executive Assistant for the University’s Presidents Leadership Class (a rigorous four-year academic program designed for 200 of the school’s top undergraduates), where she earned the distinction in the Colorado university system of Outstanding Staff Member. She transitioned into educational travel by working on a 100 day, around-the-world voyage of Semester at Sea serving in the administration as Assistant to the Dean. This was followed by a position in Client Services with EF Educational Tours. Two years ago she joined Destination Partners. In her role at DP, Julia has overseen the design and implementation of in-country tours for Semester at Sea, as well as many NYU departments including Stern, Steinhardt, Gallatin, Tisch, and the SCPS. An avid traveler herself, Julia has visited 20 countries across 6 continents. She cherishes the rich potential of travel to teach and shape those who choose to embrace it and she is excited to facilitate your student's experiences abroad.

 

 

Marissa Johnson 
Account Executive

 

After studying abroad with Semester at Sea, Marissa knew that she wanted to combine her business degree with her love for exploring and understanding different cultures. Following graduation from Emmanuel College, Marissa started working in the International Education industry, where she helped to create over 30 sustainable international student programs at private secondary schools throughout the US. Marissa played in integral role in supporting not only the success of the programs, but also ensuring that her students had a positive experience during their study abroad experience in the US. Her passion for travel and commitment to providing high-quality experiences to her clients has brought Marissa to Destination Partners as an Account Executive.

 

Ana De Augustinis
Project Manager

With over 22 years of experience in the travel industry, Ana brings strong core travel management skill sets to the NYU Account Team. Her work at Varig Brazilan Airlines, then in Corporate Travel Services at American Express and at other corporations prepared her well for her role at Destination Partners, where she has become a key player and mentor to the team. Over the last nine years, she has also become a familiar face to many at NYU, having developed and managed programs at all Schools, and especially legendary in her role of overseeing Stern’s ISP “mega groups”. Her primary responsibilities include operating and overseeing group travel, especially large institutional programs for universities and corporations, and all air arrangements. Ana typically joins some of Destination Partners’ groups throughout the world including, South and Central America: Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador; Asia: Tokyo, China and Korea; Europe: Germany, Spain, Hungry, Italy and the USA.
 

Maria Luisa M. Carter
Director

With a professional background in the arts, health and education, Luisa received her Masters in Education from Southern Connecticut University. Her varied professional experience, multi-cultural background (born in Brazil, studied in Europe), and her ability to connect with people from all over the world make her a key part of Destination Partners success. As Commercial Director, Luisa is responsible for identifying client's needs, matching them with programs and opportunities and delivering the optimum travel experience for our clients. Given her rich background, Maria Luisa has special interest and expertise in programs relating to the African Diaspora, education, and community service, thereby adding a unique dimension to our offerings. So much so that in 2009 Luisa opened a non-profit organization, Bee Gaia, dedicated to promoting global citizenship through programs of art, education, travel and well-being. Bee Gaia has adopted four projects that it supports and integrates into faculty led programs when appropriate: an orphanage in Haiti, a school for the developmentally challenged in Bhutan, and two villages, one in the Brazilian Amazon and one in Ghana.
 

Adam Carter
Director

Adam is a native New Yorker and a proud NYU alum. Prior to his career in travel, Adam studied abroad in Europe and Latin America, and received his MBA from Stern in International Marketing in 1980 (spending a semester in Rio de Janeiro at UFRJ/ COPPEAD). Afterwards he spent several years in New York on Madison Avenue in the advertising industry, honing his skills in product development and management. Looking to combine his love of travel and marketing, he left advertising and in 1984 opened Brazil Nuts Tours, a company dedicated to creating innovative special interest tours. Under his direction, Brazil Nuts Tours became recognized as a leader in such key travel segments as Ecotourism, cultural tours and corporate meetings and incentives. In 2007 Adam was elected Chairman of the Brazil Tour Operators Association. To meet the demand for quality short-term group travel programs among institutional clients in the educational, NGO and corporate sector, Adam and his wife opened the Destination Partners division in 2001 and have grown the business with an emphasis on strong client service, destination expertise and creative programming and solutions.