Inspiration for Intrepid Gourmet Travellers
BNET Australia Contributors
Aussie Rules
Biography
BNET Australia Contributors
Brian Haverty is editorial director for CBS Interactive Australia and is responsible for the company's BNET and ZDNet Australia sites.
Robert Gerrish is a coach, author and professional speaker and the founder of Flying Solo, an Australian online community for solo business owners.
Melissa Lourenco is the HR manager for CBS Interactive in Australia.
Chris Golis is the author of The Humm Handbook: Lifting Your Level of Emotional Intelligence. He runs seminars and workshops on EQ.
Suzi Dafnis is Community Director of the Australian Businesswomen's Network.
Yvonne Adele helps organisations build a culture of ideas by teaching people at all levels to access their untapped creative thinking skills.
Even though Aussies love to travel, you’d still have to assume becoming a new entrant in the outbound holiday market would be a risky move. It tends to be reliant on moving high volumes of price-sensitive customers in a low-margin business susceptible to fuel prices, terrorism fears and the odd epidemic or two. Why would you do it?
Add to the mix a couple of young entrepreneurs with no experience in running a travel business, or any business at all for that matter, and you’d assume the whole venture was heading for a very rapid crash landing. That was the situation in 1989 when Darrell Wade and Geoff Manchester started Intrepid Travel. Yet it seems they found their niche and they’ve experienced high, sustainable growth every year since. They’re up to an annual turnover of $115 million, not bad for such a crowded market, and last week they were voted Best Tour Operator at the Australian Gourmet Traveller 2009 Travel Awards. The award winners were selected by readers, who submitted 33,000 votes at the magazine’s website.
I spoke to Geoff Manchester last September on BTalk Australia. He put their success down to their business sense and tapping a gap in the market. They offer what he describes as real experiences, providing the flexibility of backpacking with the convenience of an arranged tour.
Have a listen to the interview on BTalk Australia here. You’ll hear that how they manage and motivate their staff in a way that remains true to their brand. It’s an inspiring story for any business person wanting to run a unified, growing business.
Listen to: The Intrepid Travel Story | BTalk Australia
