In a recent episode of Radio PURE, Luxury Lodges of Australia’s Executive Officer Penny Rafferty reflects on a life shaped by place – from post-apartheid South Africa to the red earth of the Barossa Valley – and her belief that travel is most powerful when grounded in culture, community and care. She also discusses how collaboration and embedded sustainability make Australia’s extraordinary lodges thrive – qualities that led to her recognition as a finalist in Radio PURE’s 2025 Change Maker Award.
Penny emphasizes that travel lands deepest when it is rooted in culture, community and care, a perspective that resonates with the ethos of Luxury Lodges of Australia.
A snapshot of other episodes in the Radio PURE: Insights from Open House series:
- Cracking the Travel Trend Code (Edmund Morris): Predicting future travel trends shaped by curiosity and cultural insight.
- What a Conscious Business Actually Gains (James Thornton): How purpose-driven leadership transforms travel brands and experiences.
- Breaking Barriers in Accessibility (Sophie Morgan): Rethinking inclusion to create genuinely accessible travel.
- Your Irrational Potential (Anant Sharma): Why the most memorable travel experiences often defy logic.
- Seeking Truth in Asylum Myths (Jaz O’Hara & Mez Bereket): Bringing honest human stories to displacement and travel narratives.
- Who We Hand the Power of Travel To (Ruy Carlos Tone): Empowering communities through ecotourism without sanitising heritage.
- Building the Future from Heritage (Manvendra Singh Shekhawat): Using cultural heritage as a foundation for meaningful hospitality.
Listen to the full episode of Radio PURE to hear Penny Rafferty’s perspective on the future of purposeful luxury travel, and explore the rest of the podcast series to discover more inspiring insights from leaders shaping the travel industry.
