Old Sod Travel, Scandinavian American World Tours Join the Blank Canvas Tours Family

Our longtime owners, Mikael and Linda Rasmussen, are soon set to retire after many wonderful years at the helm of ScanAm. We will be very sad to see them go after the wonderful leadership they have brought to this company. At the same time, we’re also very excited about what the future holds: we are joining the Blank Canvas Tours family along with our friends at Old Sod Travel! This will allow our team to continue focusing on luxury travel in Scandinavia and delivering trips in the most scenic regions in the world. Please see the press release below for more details.


April 22, 2019 – Williamstown, MA – Old Sod Travel and Scandinavian American World Tours, two established luxury tour operators, are joining the Blank Canvas Tours family to now include unique and beautiful travel experiences in destinations such as Ireland, Scotland, England, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and beyond.

Old Sod Travel is one of the fastest-growing custom tour operators for trips to Ireland and the British Isles. Over the past five years, it has taken guests on unforgettable trips including golfing at legendary courses, hiking amidst beautiful landscapes, seating at famous cultural and sporting events, and, of course, classic local food and drink in historic small towns.

Also focused on custom tours, Scandinavian American World Tours has provided personalized tours across the remarkable, unspoiled countries of Scandinavia for 38 years. Trips range from cruises to chauffeured driving tours to hiking tours of Norway’s magical fjords, the Northern Lights phenomenon throughout several countries, or Iceland’s unmatched Blue Lagoon.

Each of the three companies will continue to operate under its own brand identity and retain its specialized trip planners.  

“We are really excited about the opportunity to join together with Blank Canvas Tours and Scandinavian American World Tours,” said Old Sod Travel Founder & President, Tom Casey. “Our goal since the day we started is to make people happy through unique and memorable travel experiences. Now we can do it across a larger group of guests than was ever possible before.”  

Old Sod Travel also continues to grow its corporate incentive travel program, helping large corporate groups experience the best of Ireland and the British Isles.

“Old Sod Travel and Scandinavian American World Tours share our goal of providing unforgettable experiences in the world’s most unique destinations,” said Gil Haylon, Founder & CEO, Blank Canvas Tours. “This deal also allows us to focus more on growing our affinity travel business, with small group luxury tours for alumni travel programs, corporate travel getaways, philanthropy groups and more.”

Blank Canvas Tours will continue to offer small luxury group tours with a focus on art, music, theatre, and culture in unique destinations such as the BerkshiresNew Mexico, and Vermont.

Casey and Katheriona Dowling, VP of Operations for Old Sod Travel, will join the Blank Canvas leadership team and will manage custom trips across all companies, while Haylon will focus on scheduled departure trips and affinity travel. Mikael and Linda Rasmussen, who so ably built Scandinavian American World Tours, will take a well-deserved break from their long, hectic work days and serve as consultants to Blank Canvas Tours.

About Blank Canvas Tours

Founded in 2018, Blank Canvas Tours delivers high-service, high-touch vacations in the most culturally-rich destinations in the world. Each trip is focused on art, music, and theatre, and allows travelers to experience and connect with unique areas of the world. Based in Williamstown, MA, Blank Canvas Tours currently offers trips in New Mexico, the Berkshires, and Vermont, with new destinations added every year.

About Old Sod Travel

Old Sod Travel is dedicated to connecting groups, families, companies, couples and golfers from around the world with extraordinary experiences on the Old Sod and the British Isles. Old Sod Travel focuses on highly customized travel with unmatched expertise of hotels, inns, pubs, restaurants, golf courses, entertainment venues and personalized touches for an unforgettable experience. Based in Maryland, Old Sod is one of the fastest-growing tour operators offering trips to Ireland, Scotland and England.

About Scandinavian American World Tours

Scandinavian American World Tours offers unmatched experiences in destinations including Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, as well as Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Russia, and the nearby Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. These scenic trips visit breathtaking fjords, amazing landscapes, and much more. In business for more than 38 years, the company is based outside of Princeton, NJ and offers personalized custom tours for small groups, couples, families, and more.

For more information:
Contact Gil Haylon
Founder & CEO, Blank Canvas Tours [email protected] 
1-833-641-0855