Respected industry figure Pete Rawley has acquired Byroads Travel, a small group touring business offering fully escorted itineraries across some 16 destinations.
The purchase fulfils a long-held ambition that began in the late 1990s when Mr Rawley started his career with Peregrine Adventures.
With limited departures and groups of as few as eight travellers, Byroads is designed to appeal to the curious traveller who wants to explore a destination in a small group, with all the day-to-day details taken care of.
Byroads has been operating for almost 20 years, initially founded by former Peregrine Director Richard Mole and later owned by long-time operations specialist and friend Steve Mortimer.
Under both owners, the business has built a strong reputation for excellent service and thoughtfully planned itineraries.
A key point of difference is Byroads’ approach to departures. Rather than operating multiple departures throughout the year, each destination has a single departure only, carefully selected around what is considered the best time to visit.
Mr Rawley (left), also co-founder of the Evolution Travel Collective, says the approach will remain central to the business.
“I understand that we may not be for everyone due to our limited departures, but that’s ok. We pick what we see as the absolute perfect time of year to run our once-off departure and we don’t plan to expand on that.”
Another element Mr Rawley is keen to retain is the combination of an Australian tour escort with some of the best local leaders and guides available in each destination.
“After 30 years in small group travel, I understand the importance of the local leaders who run the tours – it’s a must as they understand their homeland and bring that cultural expertise to the travelling experience.
“Our small group tours look to expand on that as we also add the convenience of an Australian ‘tour escort’ to support our local leaders and guides as part of our offering.
“This combination of Australian service & support with local expertise has worked extremely well for us over the years and is always reflected in the positive feedback we receive.”
Asked where he sees the business evolving under his ownership, Mr Rawley says he is keen to build on Byroads’ existing offering while exploring new destinations and itineraries.
“I’m really interested in developing some more unique destinations and new itineraries to put in front of our clients. Just like when I started in the adventure tour space, that curiosity has not left me, and I believe that this is an area we can develop in time.
“For now, though, we have around 16 destinations we are exploring and I am really looking forward to running those over the next couple of years.”
