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Sojourner Tours
Sojourner Tours is an American-based boutique tour company offering owner-guided luxury tours that celebrate the gastronomy of off-the-beaten path destinations. This company was founded by Lisa Gustavson and Francis Mathieu in 2013.

History
Sojourner Tours began it's first tours in Eastern France, where owner Francis Mathieu was born. The couple wanted to create a signature style of tour to suit the needs of well traveled people seeking an opportunity to have a deeper cultural experience than independent travel permits. This came to be known as "the sojourn" and guests on the tours as "sojourners" because they take up temporary residence in a base location for the duration of the tour. Hallmarks of Sojourner Tours travel include: 1) extremely exclusive tours limited to 4-7 guests, 2) sojourning in a single family-owned boutique hotel base for the duration of the tour,3) visits to secluded locations that are often inaccessible by public transportation,4) tour participants discover the whole story of the region's unique culinary traditions from visits to artisan producers to dining on the finest haute cuisine, 5)sustainable tourism practices.

The couple's Eastern France Tour replicates the honeymoon tour they designed for guests (from Japan, Australia, and North America) who attended their 2002 wedding.

The Owners
Lisa Gustavson, the president of Sojourner Tours, has an MA in International Studies (Ohio University) and an MA in Anthropology (University of California Santa Barbara). She is a Franco-American of Swedish decent and has lived and studied in several countries including: the United States, France, Japan, and Swaziland in Africa. In addition, she has traveled extensively in Europe and Asia and speaks several languages.

Francis Mathieu is a professor of French at Southwestern University located outside Austin, Texas. He is French but resides in the United States and leads tours for Sojourner Tours in France during the summer.

Sustainable Tourism
The founders only offer tours in countries where they (or their extended family) live or have lived. As a result of the owners' personal investment in the tour destinations, the Company observes sustainable tourism practices to ensure that the tours have a positive impact on everyone involved. Tours are designed to have a minimal impact on the environment and local culture, while supporting the future success of small local businesses, artisans and sustainable regional agriculture and production. Sojourner Tours' guests benefit from this strategy because guides are able to take their small tour groups to off-the-beaten-path places where tourism isn’t the driving force of the economy.