Value of Excellence

Our founder, Louie Yi, has been integrally involved in facilitating cross-cultural conversations since 1995. From volunteering to translate information from CCWA and early adoption agencies, Lotus is well-versed in bridging understanding across the Pacific.

Below is a letter from Louie’s, sharing the personal and business philosophy that has guided the company since its founding. 

In 2025, after 20 years of facilitating smooth heritage trip experiences, I would like to reiterate Lotus Excellence Value. Our philosophy has always been to provide the highest quality travel, customized to adoption experiences, without stress, and at a predictable and competitive price

I have personally trained our local hosts & guides to understand how adoptees and their parents  have different needs than a regular N. American tourists visiting China. Lotus Travel has designed many “slice of life” experiences for all of our flexible itineraries. With these extras of uniquely trained guides who appreciate the specific priorities & needs of adoptees & families, the travel experience is richer. It often provides insight into what it’s like to live in China “day-to-day.” Adult adoptees appreciate this aspect the most, according to their feedback.

Most guides are trained NOT to share ANY of that information. 

These unique aspects, plus a slightly higher labor cost, Lotus will NOT likely be the cheapest travel agency to choose for a return trip. Typically, this means Lotus Travel prices would be about $200 more per traveler. We are firm in our belief that adoptees and families deserve more than simply visiting the most culture stopover spots possible in the shortest time possible.  We believe that extra investment is well worth the value. That is what I call the “Lotus Excellence Value”

With the challenges for the Chinese economy in 2025, we are seeing unprecedented cheap pricing some of our families currently receive from Chinese travel agencies, who likely are resorting to poor practices to win business. Be aware that if your family is receiving a quote that is a lot cheaper than a price quote from Lotus, it will likely be due to one (or more) of the following methods that we have recently seen in-country Chinese agencies use to beat a normal  trip price quote: 

*Less nice hotels, located far away from the spots you will be visiting 

*Use of unlicensed guides, likely with poorer translation and/or English skills. If no problem    arises on the trip, you may only notice the poor English. If an unexpected emergency occurs, such as a traffic accident, an unlicensed guide may have to flee to escape authorities. 

*Non-registered vehicle used to transport you and your family.

*Many “fees” that are implied as included, but aren’t, resulting in higher trip costs than planned, though it must be paid in China. 

At Lotus, we remain very competitive, AND are committed to the best practices of our industry. Any other approach does not serve what we at Lotus see as the purpose of heritage travel. I think adoptees and families deserve this specialized support. Some of the most memorable moments returning families share about are insights shared by our travel guides about their own “slice of life experiences, or insights gained while staying at a farmer’s home in the country. 

Our goal across the decades remains the same:  “Uniting Families and Connecting Cultures”. Thank you for reading and “listening”.  If you have thoughts to share, I’d love to hear from you. 

Sincerely,
Louie Yi, President

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