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Just 10 years after entering the North American market, Exodus Adventure Travels now welcomes 25% of its customers from the region. The reason, said Sasha Andrews, director of industry sales for North America, is that “we consider ourselves the experts in active, small-group travel.”
The tour operator’s groups have a maximum of 16 guests with an average of 12, she added, and the tours are active, experiential and led by guides who are locally based.
An Expanding Product Line
Exodus, which formed in the UK in 1974, currently offers more than 500 active adventures to 90 countries, with more being added continuously.
What’s more, Exodus intentionally adds tours within existing destinations to avoid overcrowding popular hot spots. For instance, Andrews said that an Amalfi Coast tour in Italy includes stays in a hotel that’s located in a small town outside the major urban centers. (Italy is also Exodus’ most popular destination.)
“While many think of Europe as a motorcoach-touring destination, we can navigate popular destinations because we might just be walking or cycling into town,” she said.
And although “adventure” is in the company’s name, there are options for almost every traveler. “Many of our programs require just a wee bit of fitness as our travelers walk around and sightsee, but many trips are viable for pretty much everyone,” Andrews said.
An Exodus hiking trip in Italy. (Source: Shutterstock)
Diverse Product Options
The operator’s product diversity is evident in the range of some of its most recent additions. They include the “Mera Peak Climb,” an 18,000- foot ascension of a mountain in Nepal; “Discover Spain & Portugal by Rail,” which offers a relaxed and scenic train journey through the two countries; and “Discover South India-Premium Adventure,” an upscale tour that covers less-visited areas of the country.
“Our priority is finding places that are new and interesting and creating routes that are not generally available,” Andrews said. For example, she noted there is great interest in the company’s tours to Eastern Europe’s Carpathian Mountains.
Incentivizing Travel Advisors
Exodus relies heavily on travel advisor sales and incentivizes that channel through the Exodus Agent Collective loyalty program. The first booking makes the advisor an “Agent Globetrotter” and includes a 50% discount for themselves and 30% for a companion.
And when they’ve booked their 30th customer, an advisor becomes a “Pioneer,” which includes a 70% discount for themselves and 30% for a companion. And there are other benefits, as well – like previews of upcoming promotions and priority access to fam trips, events, contests and incentives. To maintain status, advisors need to have confirmed a client booking within the past 18 months.
Meanwhile, a new advisor portal and training platform is set to be unveiled in the near future. The company already offers expert certification through training that comprises “bite-sized modules,” Andrew said, and there also is a platform that enables advisors to put together and book trips online.
Strong advisor support is available, with three full-time business development managers, a full-time sales support team and a part-time marketing support team.
An Exodus group on a Sri Lanka tour. (Source: Carmen Geyer)
Premium Adventures
Exodus introduced a new product line, Premium Adventures, a couple of years ago, and that high-end product is increasingly available in more destinations. These options offer upscale accommodations and additional inclusions. There is still an active component to the tours, but rather than three-to four-star accommodations, clients are accommodated in four- to five-star properties.
And earlier this year, Exodus unveiled a “Thriving Nature, Thriving People” approach to responsible travel, which supports conservation initiatives driven by local communities to ensure lasting impact.
The initiative includes science-themed departures, where travelers collect biodiversity data; rewilding, which aims to restore natural habitats across Italy; ocean restoration, focusing on conserving and restoring marine ecosystems; wildlife and animal welfare, geared toward ensuring ethical wildlife experiences; and empowering disadvantaged and under-represented communities.
Treading Lightly
Andrew notes that while “there has been a lot of negative press around tourism in recent years,” Exodus excels at visiting smaller communities, where guests are welcomed by local people and tours have a positive impact on the economy.
“In many cases, we are simply cycling or walking into town because walking is our largest segment, especially in Europe,” she added. “We like to say we’ve been going to a lot of places for 50 years, and have been welcomed back for 50 years because we tread lightly and have a positive impact.”
The Exodus Traveler
Exodus Adventure Travels has witnessed significant growth in two market segments in recent years: solo travelers and private groups, Andrews said.
Solo travelers now account for 50% of Exodus’ guests, and the operator offers private rooms at a nominal extra charge.
This segment is ideal for advisors, because it provides clients with the security of a small group with everything taken care of. Neither advisors nor clients have to piecemeal everything together, Andrews said.
The operator’s client base skews toward female travelers between the ages of 50-65 and who are “empty nesters and retirees with time and money,” she added.
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