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Grand Circle Chairman Alan E. Lewis Unexpectedly Passes Away

  • November 18, 2022

overseas adventure travel alan lewis

Alan E. Lewis, 74, chairman of Grand Circle Corporation, passed away unexpectedly at his family home in Kensington, New Hampshire, on November 2, 2022., according to a press release.

He leaves behind a close family, successful travel and real estate investment businesses, and a deep and ongoing philanthropic commitment, the company said. 

The Grand Circle family, which extends to more than 30 countries and 2,500 associates, guides, ship crew and staff, offers its heartfelt sympathy to Alan’s wife, Harriet; his two children, Edward and Charlotte; their spouses, and his three grandchildren. 

Harriet Lewis will serve as Chair of Grand Circle Corporation, with Edward Lewis, vice chair; and Charlotte Lewis, vice chair.

All three will continue on the company’s board of advisors.

According to Edward and Charlotte: “As a family, we are committed to moving the business forward with the same passion and values that our Dad instilled in us all.  We both, along with a cadre of veteran leaders in the company, learned from the best.”

Brian FitzGerald will continue to serve as chief executive officer of Grand Circle and its family of travel brands, Overseas Adventure Travel, Grand Circle Travel, and Grand Circle Cruise Line.

Christopher Zigmont will continue to serve as chief financial officer and contracting, air operations and ship operations.  Andrew Tullis will serve as executive vice president, strategic planning and product development.

“Alan was bigger than life. His passion for travel was equaled by his passion to develop leaders,” said FitzGerald. “Our leadership team is strong—together Chris, Andrew and I have worked with Alan for more than 55 years. We will continue to honor Alan by advancing his vision to help change people’s lives through international travel, adventure and discovery. We are extremely confident in Grand Circle’s financial stability and future and will continue to provide exceptional travel experiences to our loyal customer base.”

As Grand Circle Corporation Chairman, Alan Lewis shaped the company’s vision and direction, specializing in trips of international discovery for Americans aged 50 and older. That vision transformed Grand Circle from a $23 million-travel company that was losing $2 million a year when he and Harriet acquired it in 1985 into a fast moving, global enterprise with three travel entities and gross sales today of $600 million. The company’s reach has expanded from one office in Boston—now its worldwide headquarters—to 36 offices around the world.

In 1992, the Lewises established the nonprofit Grand Circle Foundation to support communities in which Grand Circle works and travels, including some 500 humanitarian, cultural and educational endeavors worldwide—among them, 100 schools, in 50 countries.  The Foundation is an entity of the Alnoba Lewis Family Foundation, which has pledged or donated more than $250 million since 1981.

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Privacy Overview

Alan E. Lewis, travel industry executive and philanthropist, dies at 74

Mr. Lewis was chairman of the Grand Circle Corp. international travel conglomerate and chairman of Kensington Investment Co.

By his own description, Alan Lewis’s youthful years in Boston were eventful and unsettled. His parents split up when he was an infant in Dorchester, and while living with his mother, he moved 14 times in seven years.

“I was rebellious and ran with some rough company,” Mr. Lewis later wrote , “and I got into trouble at every turn.”

Leaving college after a year, he got a job as a lifeguard in Miami, where he made headlines saving a swimmer’s life. His father visited soon after and was unimpressed at the heroics.

“We got into a huge argument over the direction in my life,” Mr. Lewis wrote in “Driving With No Brakes,” a 2010 memoir. “Actually, it was over its lack of direction. Was I going to be a lifeguard for the rest of my life?”

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Heeding unsolicited paternal advice, he took a job with his father’s small travel business and soon launched his own company, the first steps toward becoming one of the most successful travel industry entrepreneurs in Boston.

Mr. Lewis, who was chairman of the Grand Circle Corp. international travel conglomerate and chairman of Kensington Investment Co. , died of an apparent cardiac event at his Kensington, N.H., home Wednesday . He was 74 and divided his time between Boston and Kensington, a small town that his maternal ancestors helped to settle in the 1600s.

With his wife, Harriet, Mr. Lewis was among Greater Boston’s most prolific and wide-ranging philanthropists. The couple and their foundations have given in excess of $250 million to more than 500 projects in 50 countries, according to the Lewis family.

Over the years, Lewis family donations also have helped fund local organizations and programs such as the West End House Boys & Girls Club and The Boston Foundation’s StreetSafe Boston initiative to reduce youth violence. The couple created a community advisory group to work with organizations including Artists for Humanity and Freedom House, according to The Boston Foundation.

Nationally and internationally, their philanthropic contributions have helped programs at the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, a bee project run by the Maijuna indigenous people in the Peruvian Amazon, and solar power initiatives in villages in India and Tanzania.

While building his first travel business, selling it, buying and building another travel company, and then launching a philanthropic life that didn’t fit established models, Mr. Lewis developed a philosophy that he was eager to share.

“Break the rules,” he said in an interview at the University of New Hampshire a couple of years ago that is posted on YouTube .

“Just keep breaking ‘em. Keep making mistakes,” he said, adding that “this world wants you in a box. The world is pushing you into a small box. Break the rules.”

Born in Boston on July 17, 1948, Alan Elliot Lewis was a son of Elizabeth Sawyer Getter and Edward Lewis.

“My parents divorced when I was a young child, and I saw my father only on occasion,” Mr. Lewis wrote, “but each encounter left an indelible imprint.”

Along with running United Travel Service, a travel business that provided Alan’s entry-level initiation into the industry, Edward was a convicted bookmaker.

Mr. Lewis credited his father with teaching him to always help the underdog. And Mr. Lewis said his childhood — with its repeated changes of address — provided inadvertent preparation for his career in the adventure travel industry.

“Every new place I had a fight because I was a new kid in the block, and that helped me get ready for my life,” he said of his youth in the UNH interview. “It was great for me because I got used to change. I got used to adapting to new places.”

Childhood also brought him to the place he considered his spiritual home. When he was 5, his mother began putting him on a bus in Boston to send him to visit his maternal grandmother, Ruth Sawyer, in Kensington.

In the late 1970s, Mr. Lewis and his wife bought land in Kensington from his great uncle. They expanded their holdings to 600 acres, which are now home to what is known as Alnoba , a retreat, leadership, and wellness facility.

“He always called it a sacred spiritual place,” said Martha Prybylo, executive vice president for social mission at Alnoba. “He walked that property any time of the day and felt a special responsibility to care for his ancestors’ land.”

While at Newton South High School, Mr. Lewis met Harriet Rothblatt. They dated briefly, and became a couple in their 20s.

“I was raised in a traditional New England family with my eyes set on college,” she wrote in “Driving With No Brakes,” which they coauthored. “Alan was a street-savvy kid with big dreams and a colorful past. You can see the attraction.”

They married in 1972, the year before he cofounded Trans National Travel, and celebrated their 50th anniversary last month.

In the mid-1980s, they sold their interest in their travel agency, known as TNT, in order to travel more themselves and devote additional time to their two children.

Then Mr. Lewis heard that Grand Circle Travel was for sale. The company was losing $2 million a year when they bought it in 1985. The couple turned it into a business with more than $600 million in annual revenue and 35 offices around the world.

They founded Grand Circle Corp., which also includes two other travel businesses they acquired, and Kensington Investment to handle the family’s real estate and investment holdings, and its philanthropy.

Harriet chairs the Lewis Family Foundation. Their daughter, Charlotte of Marblehead, is Kensington’s chief operating officer. Their son, Edward of Park City, Utah, is Kensington’s chief executive officer.

Along with three grandchildren, Mr. Lewis also leaves a brother, Hank, with whom he has had well-publicized business disagreements that became court cases. In addition, Mr. Lewis leaves two half-siblings, Steven Rittenberg and Susan Lewis.

Burial will be private, and the family will sit shiva Monday through Friday beginning at 4 p.m. at Alnoba in Kensington.

“He made so much time to be in our lives, either physically or through phone calls or through letters or through e-mail,” Charlotte said of her father.

“He really was such a loving man,” she said. “He was the biggest mentor, the biggest coach, the biggest supporter: ‘I’m always in your corner and I always have your back.’ "

Mr. Lewis, she added, “had a serious code, and that was to tell the truth and chase after your dreams,” even when that meant pushing through challenging times.

“The last thing he said to me was, ‘Be comfortable being uncomfortable,’ and that’s how I want to live my life,” Charlotte said.

Particularly in his later years, Mr. Lewis became more reflective, writing in journals and sending “beautiful letters to his associates and friends,” Charlotte said.

Though Mr. Lewis “was a serious man, he also liked to have fun,” she said, and to the end he insisted others do as well.

Before Mr. Lewis died, he had planned to accompany his son to a beach for surfing, “but he was feeling tired and decided to lie down,” Charlotte said. “His last words to Edward were, ‘Go and have fun.’ "

Bryan Marquard can be reached at [email protected] .

Alnoba

Founder, Alnoba

Alan was a social entrepreneur, business leader and philanthropist with a lifelong vision to help change people’s lives.  To further their lifelong devotion to social justice, Alan and his wife, Harriet created Alnoba, a leading place for nonprofits to develop and honor daring leaders on the frontline for equity and justice around the world.

In 1983, Alan founded the Kensington Investment Company for the Lewis Family’s real estate holdings, investments and philanthropic activities. Today, KIC is primarily focused on real estate operations and development with various properties in Boston, Utah and across New England with more than one million square feet of residential and commercial property. They have alternative investments in Israel and more than 80 Israel companies.

In addition to serving as KIC’s chairman, Alan was Chairman of Grand Circle Corporation , the leader in international travel, adventure, and discovery for Americans aged 50 and older. He and his wife Harriet acquired Grand Circle Travel in 1985 and transformed the $23 million travel company that was losing $2 million a year into a fast-moving, global enterprise with gross sales exceeding $600M, more than 35 offices worldwide, and in 85 countries have 3,000 associates, guides, and ship crew. Today, Grand Circle Travel is joined by two other travel entities: Overseas Adventure Travel, acquired in 1993, and Grand Circle Cruise Line, which Alan established in 1998.

Alan was deeply committed to use his leadership, life experience and business success to advance his passion to develop and support strong activist leaders; fight for social justice for the young and indigenous peoples; and help save the earth we share.

His True North was Alnoba in Kensington, New Hampshire a small town that his maternal ancestors helped settle in the 1600s and where he spent his boyhood summers. Its 600-acre landscape with 10 miles of trails, wildlife habitats, sculptures and unique gathering places is a sacred place where inspiration meets action. It is also the base for the family’s charitable endeavors, which include Pinnacle Leadership and Team Development, the Lewis Family Foundation, Grand Circle Foundation and the Farm at Eastman’s Corner. Since 1981, Alnoba  has supported more than 100 strategic partners worldwide and donated $225M in more than 70 countries.

Believing you can lead from anywhere and that strong leaders make strong companies and communities; Alan was especially devoted to leadership development. In 1993, he founded Pinnacle Leadership and Team Development, which has trained hundreds of nonprofit and business leaders from more than 60 countries. He had a lot of first-hand experience in crisis leadership, having successfully navigated his companies through more than a hundred world events, natural disasters, and other calamities, including the Gulf War, 9-11, the 2008-09 financial downturn and the COVID 19 pandemic. He authored, Leading through Turbulence: How a Values-Based Culture Can Build Profits and Make the World a Better Place , published by McGraw Hill, and his 10 Keys of Leading in Crisis provide hard won wisdom and guidance to other leaders.

Alan has been recognized for his philanthropic leadership, including by the late Paul Newman’s Committee to Encourage Corporate Philanthropy for “CEO Leadership and Innovation in Philanthropy” and as Ernst & Young’s New England “Social Entrepreneur of the Year.” He was an avid traveler, a persistent reader of history and biographies, a lover of risk, and a lifelong fan of all Boston sports teams — no matter how they’re playing. Above all else, he was a family man, committed to Harriet, their children, Edward and Charlotte, and their three granddaughters.

In Loving Memory. July 17, 1948 – November 2, 2022.

overseas adventure travel alan lewis

Kensington, NH

ALNOBA 24 Cottage Road Kensington, NH 03833

For more information or to see Alnoba, contact Wendy Manning, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, at: [email protected] Telephone: 603-418-7407

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Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT)

Established in 1978, Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T.) (www.oattravel.com) is part of Boston-based Grand Circle Corporation’s family of travel companies, which also include Grand Circle Cruise Line and Grand Circle Travel.  In 1992, owners Alan and Harriet Lewis established the nonprofit Grand Circle Foundation to support communities in which Grand Circle works and travels, including some 300 humanitarian, cultural, and educational endeavors worldwide—among them, 100 schools, in 50 countries.  The Foundation is an entity of the Lewis Family Foundation, which has pledged or donated more than $200 million since 1981.

When and why did you begin your impact tourism program?

In 1992, Alan and Harriet Lewis established Grand Circle Foundation as a means of giving back to the communities being visited on Grand Circle Corporation’s trips. Today GCF supports education, clean water, leadership training, conservation efforts and the preservation of cultural treasures and traditions. To be welcomed into another culture is an incredible gift—one that the Lewises received time and time again in their own travels. They believe that by reaching out and connecting with communities around the world, we learn to appreciate firsthand not only our diversity, but our commonality — and the understanding we gain can be life-changing.

Please provide brief examples of some of your most impactful projects.

Water, Sanitation, Hygiene (W.A.S.H.) – Access to safe water, adequate sanitation, and proper hygiene education, can reduce illness and death, and also affect poverty reduction and socio-economic development.  The W.A.S.H. initiative ensures that all schools and communities we visit have an adequate supply of clean water and toilets that meet or exceed local standards. To date, 90 percent of schools and 70 percent of villages have reached this goal. Since 2015, as part of this initiative, Grand Circle Foundation has funded $787,000 toward 102 water projects including wells, water tanks, and water filters, impacting 17,000 people.

overseas adventure travel alan lewis

Education: Projects range from basic necessities like pencils and books to building a secondary school in Kenya. We provide access to clean water; build and renovate toilets; renovate and build classrooms; fund scholarships and uniforms; provide books and desks; computers, laptops, photocopiers and access to technology; supplement teacher salaries and supply administrative supplies; playgrounds; sun shades in the Andes; musical instruments and costumes to help preserve local cultures.

overseas adventure travel alan lewis

Relief: We have funded more than $1.3M for relief, including $570,603 to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake; $173,926 to Japan in 2011 after the earthquake/tsunami; $488,577 to Nepal after the 2015 Earthquake; and smaller amounts to Cuba, Chile, Germany, and other countries. A group of associates traveled to Nepal on a community service trip in 2017 to follow up on the donations made in 2015.

overseas adventure travel alan lewis

Has your impact tourism program helped, hurt, or had no impact on your business?

For its efforts, the Foundation has received Travel + Leisure  magazine’s 2013 and 2010 Global Vision Award, the Tanzania Tourist Board’s Humanitarian Award, and more than a dozen other citations and awards from tourism associations around the world. Alan Lewis has been honored with the Committee to Encourage Corporate Philanthropy’s Excellence Award for CEO innovation and leadership and Ernst & Young’s New England Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Vetting Process

How do you select projects.

Our regional offices around the world identify sites and then work with school/community leadership to determine projects. When assessing how we can help the people, schools and communities we visit, we always ask for the wisdom of local leadership and the involvement of the community to ensure we are providing what is needed.

Regional offices select the individual sites based on criteria such as:

  • The school/village must be able to be visited on a Grand Circle Travel or Overseas Adventure Travel tour
  • The school/village must be led by a strong leader, willing to work with GCF to complete the project
  • The school/village must be supported by a strong community willing to work with the principal or leader of the school
  • The Regional General Manager must meet with the leader of the school/site and determine if the project is worthy and if the leader and community will be able to manage the project.

overseas adventure travel alan lewis

What is the structure to ensure ongoing accountability?

Regional associates work directly with school and community leadership to oversee the implementation of projects, submitting photos and receipts upon completion.

Employee Engagement

How are your employees and your company involved in the projects.

Our regional associates work with leaders of schools and communities to identify needs and projects. Regional associates manage funds and follow up to ensure that the projects reflect initial agreements.

In the last 26 years, the Grand Circle Foundation’s Community Service Team, led by Grand Circle associates, has donated more than 100,000 hours of service to local non-profits.  More than 90 percent of associates participate each year in over 75 events around the globe.

What have been staff reactions?

Our associates have shared very positive feedback regarding the company’s impact tourism initiatives, such as: “We got a lot of experiences and memories that we will never forget. Some of them are missing their parents, some are thanking to us, and some have ambitions for their future. We are proud that our activity today is a part of helping change people’s lives for the community who are in need.” – Frankie Nyi Nyi Naing, Country Manager, GCC Burma

“Great job team and GCF please continue making good karmas to support our community education and the world like this. Many thanks OAT.” – Toui, Local Guide “The very remarkable support to Laos community ever. I as a country boy too so I believe the education is so needed for their young generation. Please keep it up GCF. Thanks from my hearts.” – Khamsouk, Local Guide

overseas adventure travel alan lewis

Funding Model

How are funds raised from travelers.

Travelers know that 100% of their gifts go toward the project of their choice, with no administration fees, as Alan and Harriet Lewis fund all operating expenses.

How do you solicit donations?

Our monthly newsletter contains information regarding GCF projects. Travelers receive a GCF pamphlet along with their trip materials prior to departure. In addition, trip leaders share information with travelers in-country prior to GCF site visits.

Are donations tax deductible?

Yes, 100% tax deductible. GCF is a 501c3.

How are funds distributed?

Funds are wired either to the school directly or to the regional office overseeing the project.

To date, how much has been raised?

On average, 10,000 people donate $1M annually. However, in conjunction with the Lewis Family Foundation, $200M has been pledged or donated since 1981.

Do project funds go into a separate account or to a foundation to ensure transparency and separation from business revenue? If not, what is your process to ensure financial accountability of donated funds?

Funds are disbursed either to the school directly or to the regional office overseeing the project. Our regional offices are required to submit photos of completed projects along with receipts for all expenses.

Visitor Engagement

Do you offer opportunities for voluntourism and/or material donations why or why not.

Our travelers often purchase items while on a trip to be donated to a school or community, including school supplies, food and even goats! In Tanzania, travelers visit the ceramic water factory and purchase water filters which are then donated to local villagers while on the trip, or delivered to schools at a later date.  We do not offer voluntourism opportunities.

How is the impact tourism promoted or marketed to guests?

Our travelers receive a pamphlet about Grand Circle Foundation along with their trip materials. Overseas Adventure Travel itineraries include details about our A Day in the Life experience, which frequently involves visiting a local school.The travelers may observe a class in progress and then interact with children for an English lesson, helping read story books.  Interaction is determined based on the age group being visited.  If the children are very young (i.e., kindergarten or first grade age) interaction may be only as a group – singing a song, asking questions as translated by the trip leader.

What type of educational opportunities and/or materials do you give to travelers?

Travelers learn about Grand Circle Foundation and projects it supports through the website and their trip materials.

Overseas Adventure Travel trips provide cultural immersion opportunities to travelers. In Tanzania, travelers visit the water filter factory and deliver filters. All travelers receive a monthly newsletter highlighting Grand Circle Foundation projects.

Community Perspectives

How do you ensure that your values and approach align with the community supported.

When assessing how we can help the people, schools and communities we visit, we always ask for the wisdom of local leadership and the involvement of the community to ensure we are providing what is needed.Our regional associates work with leaders of schools and communities to identify needs and projects. We engaged in continous feedback from local leadership and the community.

overseas adventure travel alan lewis

Has there ever been a time when adjustments to your approach or project have needed to be made as a result of community feedback? Please explain how you were able to adapt.

In Indonesia, we were funding the installation of pipes and motorized pumps to bring water from a reservoir to a village.  The village chief and elders decided to cancel the project because they believed that the holy spirits dwelling in the sacred spring only approved the project to be as far as the completion of the water reservoir.  A village elder suggested that the reason might have been because the holy spirits want the local people to make the efforts to collect the water from the reservoir to appreciate how precious the water is.  If the water were pumped through the pipeline, it would be too easy for the people to obtain and there was a fear that the water might be wasted.

To adapt the project plan, the funds for the piping to be brought down to the village were redirected towards a water storage tank instead that would be utilized by both the school and the village.  The area receives about 7 months of rain annually so the rainwater would be diverted into the storage tanks for dry season usage.

Community Partner Perspectives: Sarah Adams, Community Sustainability and Evaluation Trainer, Children in the Wilderness (partner in Zimbabwe)

Project was to train an initial group of eight women in Jabulani, Zimbabwe to recycle and repurpose paper meant for the landfill into something new.

A green village is in the process of being established in Jabulani, a community located 20 kilometres from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The aim of this initiative is to bring together people who are interested in establishing income-generating projects that are environmentally friendly, thus helping reduce waste that goes to landfill. Papermaking is one of the projects that has just been established here, and recently, eight women began their training with the Mapepa Culture Fund on how to use the equipment. With much enthusiasm and excitement at the prospect of recycling old paper into something new, the training is a huge success so far. The idea is that these women will go on to teach other members of the community so that skills are developed among a wider section of the community.

This project will enable paper waste to be recycled and repurposed, instead of ending up in landfill. It will also be sustainable, as there will always be a constant supply of paper waste from the surrounding community and Victoria Falls. Recycled paper has many uses, such as making new exercise books for the schools, but also the creation of bespoke cards or writing paper: something that is highly attractive to overseas visitors as something small to take home with them as souvenirs.

Income-generating groups also have significant positive effects for communities. Skill development, community empowerment and collaboration, and the income generated within these groups allows the members to pay their children’s school fees – a significant issue in Zimbabwe – as well as increase overall household income and reduce solid waste.

The community members involved with this project are highly motivated and have taken ownership of their group.

For more information contact: Ann Shannon, [email protected] Websites: www.oattravel.com and www.grandcirclefoundation.org

This Impact Tourism Handbook was made possible by generous financial support from Elevate Destinations , Hilton , Holbrook Travel , and Overseas Adventure Travel .

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Grand Circle Foundation helps change people’s lives in the world we travel and where we live and work.

Grand Circle Foundation and the Alnoba Lewis Family Foundation have a long history of giving back: to the places where we travel, to the people who live there, and to the city of Boston and communities around the world where we live and work. Grand Circle Foundation together with the Alnoba Lewis Family Foundation has pledged or donated $250 million throughout the world in locations including Africa, Asia, South Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Many of the projects the Foundation supports are, quite literally, in the path of our travelers, while many more are much closer to home.

overseas adventure travel alan lewis

We believe when people follow their dreams and passions it enriches the world. We believe it fosters courageous leaders who can transform our communities and planet. From increasing the college graduation rate in Boston’s toughest neighborhoods, to building a school in Tanzania, to establishing a leadership center and community farm model in rural New Hampshire, our work helps people build strong communities.

Dear Friend,

To be welcomed into another culture is an incredible gift—one that we’ve received time and time again in our own travels. By reaching out and connecting with communities around the world, we learn to appreciate firsthand not only our diversity, but our commonality … and the understanding we gain can be life-changing.

We owe our success to this focus on cultural exchange—which is why in 1992, we established Grand Circle Foundation as a means to give back to support education, clean water, leadership training, conservation efforts and the preservation of cultural treasures and traditions.

Of course, none of this would be possible without help. We are blessed with the support of strong leaders—both around the world and in our own community. We look for their guidance in choosing the projects that will have the most impact where we live, work, and travel.

We are also indebted to our travelers. By traveling with us and supporting our projects —just as their lives will be enriched by the discoveries they’ll make on their journeys, they’ll also help to enrich the lives of the people they’ll meet along the way.

This website is a celebration of the work we’ve done together. We encourage you to come back and visit so we can keep you updated on our latest projects.

Thank you for supporting Grand Circle Foundation. Together, we are helping to change people’s lives.

Love and peace,

overseas adventure travel alan lewis

Want to see how we give back

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COMMENTS

  1. Our Founder: Alan E. Lewis

    1948-2022. Alan E. Lewis, founder of Grand Circle Corporation, was a social entrepreneur, business leader, and philanthropist with a lifelong vision to help change people's lives. Alan and his wife, Harriet, acquired Grand Circle Travel in 1985 and transformed the $23 million travel company that was losing $2 million a year into a fast-moving ...

  2. Our Founder: Alan E. Lewis

    Alan E. Lewis, founder of Grand Circle Corporation, was a social entrepreneur, business leader, and philanthropist with a lifelong vision to help change people's lives. ... Today, Grand Circle Travel is joined by two other travel entities: Overseas Adventure Travel, acquired in 1993, and Grand Circle Cruise Line, which Alan established in ...

  3. Grand Circle Corp. chairman Alan Lewis, 74

    Photo Credit: Grand Circle Corp. Grand Circle Corp. chairman Alan Lewis, 74, has died. The leader and former CEO of Grand Circle Travel unexpectedly passed away at his home in Kensington, N.H., on ...

  4. Alan Lewis obituary: Grand Circle Travel owner dies

    Alan Lewis, Grand Circle Travel owner and philanthropist, dies at 74. Alan E. Lewis, longtime business leader and philanthropist in the New England area, died unexpectedly at his family home in ...

  5. Grand Circle to be sold to private equity firm

    Grand Circle CEO Alan Lewis and his wife, Harriet Lewis, who acquired Boston-based Grand Circle in 1985, will ... Mass.-based Overseas Adventure Travel and in 1997 they established Grand Circle ...

  6. Overseas Adventure Travel

    Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T.) is part of the family of travel companies owned by Boston-based Grand Circle Corporation, offering group tourism to Africa, ... O.A.T. was acquired by the Grand Circle Corporation, owned by Alan and Harriet Lewis. Grand Circle Corporation also includes Grand Circle Cruise Line and Grand Circle Travel.

  7. Grand Circle Chairman Alan E. Lewis Unexpectedly Passes Away

    November 18, 2022. Alan E. Lewis, 74, chairman of Grand Circle Corporation, passed away unexpectedly at his family home in Kensington, New Hampshire, on November 2, 2022., according to a press release. He leaves behind a close family, successful travel and real estate investment businesses, and a deep and ongoing philanthropic commitment, the ...

  8. Grand Circle's 65th Anniversary

    I invite you to join me in celebrating Grand Circle's 65th—and Overseas Adventure Travel's 45th— anniversary of changing people's lives through travel. ... The Lewis Family. When Alan and I purchased Grand Circle in 1985, we stayed true to Ethel's founding principles, crafting experiences that are authentic, thought-provoking, and ...

  9. Grand Circle's Alan Lewis remembered as passionate entrepreneur

    Alan Lewis, an entrepreneur and philanthropist who owned and chaired Grand Circle Corp., died Nov. 2. He was 74. Boston-based Grand Circle Corp., which includes Grand Circle Cruises, is a leader in international travel, adventure and discovery for Americans over 50. Charlotte and Edward Lewis said their father died unexpectedly at the family ...

  10. Foundation Update: The Alan E. Lewis Fund

    Alan E. Lewis, Chairman of Overseas Adventure Travel and Grand Circle, passed away in November of 2022. As a family, Harriet, Edward, and Charlotte Lewis could think of no better way to honor Alan's huge vision and big heart than by giving back. ... They created the Alan E. Lewis Fund as part of Grand Circle Foundation to support causes he ...

  11. Alan E. Lewis, travel industry executive and philanthropist, dies at 74

    Alan E. Lewis, travel industry executive and philanthropist, dies at 74. By Bryan Marquard Globe Staff,Updated November 6, 2022, 4:51 p.m. Mr. Lewis was chairman of the Grand Circle Corp ...

  12. Alan Lewis

    Alan Lewis Founder, Alnoba. Alan was a social entrepreneur, business leader and philanthropist with a lifelong vision to help change people's lives. ... Today, Grand Circle Travel is joined by two other travel entities: Overseas Adventure Travel, acquired in 1993, and Grand Circle Cruise Line, which Alan established in 1998.

  13. Grand Circle Travel Celebrates 65th Anniversary

    When the Lewises added Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T.) to their travel family in 1993, ... Alan Lewis passed away unexpectedly in November 2022 at age 74.

  14. Overseas Adventure Travel Introduces Six New Small Group Adventures for

    BOSTON, Dec. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Alan E. Lewis, Chairman of Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T.), the leader in small groups on the road less traveled, today announced six new Small Group ...

  15. Meet Grand Circle Travel

    Alan and Harriet Lewis purchased Grand Circle in 1985 and stayed true to Ethel's founding principles. When the Lewises added Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T.) to their travel family in 1993, it became the first U.S. travel company to create, operate, and sell adventure trips to Americans aged 50 and over.

  16. Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT)

    Established in 1978, Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T.) (www.oattravel.com) is part of Boston-based Grand Circle Corporation's family of travel companies, which also include Grand Circle Cruise Line and Grand Circle Travel. In 1992, owners Alan and Harriet Lewis established the nonprofit Grand Circle Foundation to support communities in which Grand Circle works and travels, including some ...

  17. History

    The History of Grand Circle Travel. Ethel Andrus, a retired teacher and principal, had a vision of helping Americans lead more vital, challenging, and politically active lives. Pursuing this dream, she founded the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)—and Grand Circle Travel—in 1958. Recognizing the power of travel to offer new ...

  18. Overseas Adventure Travel Launches New O.A.T. Video Library, A

    Share this article. BOSTON, Sept. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T.), the leader in personalized small group and solo-friendly travel, announced the launch of the new O.A ...

  19. Overseas Adventure Travel adds 2,000 Solo Spaces, with Free Single

    BOSTON, Nov. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Alan E. Lewis, Chairman of Overseas Adventure Travel, the leader in small groups on the road less traveled, today announced that the company has added 2,000 ...

  20. About Us

    Grand Circle Foundation together with the Alnoba Lewis Family Foundation has pledged or donated $250 million throughout the world in locations including Africa, Asia, South Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Many of the projects the Foundation supports are, quite literally, in the path of our travelers, while many more are much closer to home.

  21. Adventure Travel with O.A.T.

    Celebrating the life of Alan Lewis Chairman of Grand Circle Corporation "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."-Jackie Robinson. Read more about Alan's life and legacy here >> ... ©2023 Overseas Adventure Travel • 347 Congress St. • Boston, MA 02210