Pelorus looks to expand in UK and US

We hear Pelorus is in expansion mode? Would you usually look for travel people, or those from outside the sector with other skills?

Yes, we are expanding in London and in the US, where our co-founder Jimmy Carroll has re-located as enquiries and sales have started to increase with the easing of travel restrictions. We look for a range of skills when hiring and often choose people who don’t have a travel background and look at the industry with fresh eyes, through a different lens. Having said that, there is some amazing talent out there at the moment with strong careers in travel behind them, and we are looking for motivated, creative travel designers, marketing professionals and project directors to join our team.

What do you see as the opportunity in the US – why was this step taken? How’s it going?

This move was always part of Pelorus’ original growth strategy as it allows the team to continue its highly personal service, gaining in-depth understanding of guests’ needs through face-to-face meetings, on both sides of the pond. Whilst based in Texas, Jimmy will be making regular visits to Florida, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Colorado to continue this service. It’s been a great start and he will remain there to continue driving this growth in the US, as well as exploring the rare and the remote across the US, in search of epic experiences and unusual accommodation for all Pelorus’ clients. Stateside travellers have been extremely receptive to Pelorus’ focus on travelling with purpose and this means we can continue to focus our energy into creating experiences through a philanthropic lens. We are really excited to see how the US market develops and to building our product knowledge there too.

Scott Maucher also recently joined the company – what does this mean for the business?

Scott was hired to continue the Pelorus Travel drive here in the UK and his background in private jet and wildlife adventure holiday sales has been a real asset to the team. His role is to continue to build on the extraordinary experiences created to date, and to lead that highly personal service ethic for UK clients looking for land-based holidays. Business is returning to a ‘new normal’ and we are delighted to bring him onboard to create outstanding private adventures for our clients. For UK and European clients, celebration bookings are back on track with honeymoons and once-in-a-lifetime trips such as yachting in Antarctica or Costa Rican jungle adventures at the fore, so this is great time for Scott to get cracking.

How else are you re-shaping the business generally, and as a result of the pandemic?

This isn’t so much a re-shape, but the pandemic has focused everyone’s minds even further onto the incredible impact that tourism can have on global economies, communities and wildlife, so we are pushing even harder in our support of The Pelorus Foundation, ensuring that each and every trip we plan positively impacts the community and landscape it is entering into. We want our clients to feel sure they are spending their money in the best possible way, without eroding the heritage or environment of the places they visit.

What do you see as being the key growth areas and business development opportunities at the moment?

We are working with a growing number of industry partners, agents and travel concierges whose clients want more Pelorus-style experiences post-Covid. Developing this network across the UK and US is key to the next phase of our growth strategy. The crisis also allowed us to recognise the power of the brand, and therefore we are also investing more across all digital platforms to strengthen brand presence in our target markets.