Abigail Harness
As a Product Executive, I work to ensure we have the best possible offerings in each destination for our travelers, searching out new hotels, the next big destination, and remarkable guides and experiences around the world. I also help to develop long-lasting relationships with our partners in each destination; ensuring our clients have the best possible experience when they’re out in the world.
That’s the ‘functional’ description of what I do. The reality revolves a lot more around curiosity; recovering that sense of childlike wonder we can all too easily lose as adults. I love that Black Tomato has such an emphasis on being curious. I think it is so important that we look to learn from the places we visit, the people we meet, and what we experience along the way. It helps to bring the ‘mystery’ back into the world – to make adventures truly feel adventurous.
Outside of travel, I love interior design – re-imagining rooms, curating a collection of beautiful art, craft and objects to fill the spaces around me. I enjoy attending auctions, visiting antiques centres, and sifting through reclamation yards in search of the perfect piece that no-one else will have. Hotels are also a huge inspiration for me. After visiting properties with a unique sense of place which are filled with works by local artisans and really reflect their surroundings, I return home and see how I can incorporate my favourite parts of a hotel’s design into my home – my version of a souvenir.
'Reaching these ruins makes you feel like Indiana Jones'
A closer look at GuatemalaOne of my most memorable travel experiences came when exploring Yaxchilán, a complex of ruins deep in the jungle near the river that marks the Mexican border with Guatemala.
Reaching these ruins makes you feel like Indiana Jones; starting with a slightly hair-raising journey on a motored canoe along the river until you disembark at the edge of the jungle. You brush through the undergrowth, through ancient arches and over what may be an undiscovered part of the complex or perhaps just a mangle of roots and trees. I felt like I was one of the very first people to stumble across these ruins and spent an afternoon exploring the fallen buildings, walls and markings as their significance was explained by an expert archaeologist. It was truly unforgettable.
Take me there
“Many companies brag about offering once-in-a-lifetime experiences. But with Black Tomato it’s not hyperbole”
“Black Tomato are one of the coolest things in the world. Don’t even try and live without them”
“Black Tomato is a super innovative company where the sky is the limit for their clients”
“Black Tomato prides itself on meeting customers every minor need or desires”
“Black Tomato is the choice provider of mind-expanding holidays”
