Almost a century since his grandfather’s innovation in the face of adversity set the wheels of the McGeary family business in motion, it’s clear APT’s Travel Group co-owner and director Rob McGeary shares the same determination. “The future has been very uncertain, but we had a deep history and culture to be able to look back on,” he tells TTG proudly.
From 24-year-old mechanic Bill McGeary converting his truck into a bus to help stranded Melbourne commuters during a tram strike to a touring and river cruise business operating to more than 70 countries, APT’s 95 years in business have been quite the journey.
McGeary is the third generation of his family to work in the company, which he leads alongside sister Lou. He speaks to TTG from Germany onboard the company’s new Travelmarvel river ship Polaris. As the vessel glides along the Main in mid-September, he offers a bullish outlook on the company’s course over the coming months.
You imagine his grandfather would have approved.
“We transformed our business [during the pandemic] and engineered new product, which is really going back to our roots,” he says. “The resilience and determination of our people has been outstanding. Now we’re able to rebuild with the same quality we’ve always had.”
APT’s global sales are “going strong again,” says McGeary with more accessible destinations such as Europe, Australia and Canada roaring back, as well as demand for Vietnam and Egypt river cruising and Antarctica expeditions.
The company will launch a new-build ship in Vietnam, Mekong Serenity, in September 2023 and further boost its Asia fleet with the Apsara (formerly AmaLotus) moving over from APT to the Travelmarvel.
The new additions follow expansion for the Travelmarvel brand with three new Contemporary-class vessels – Polaris, Capella and Vega – launched in the past two years. “We’re building new ships, renewing our fleet and we’re looking at new ships everywhere,” says McGeary.
Japan and India, meanwhile, will return to APT’s touring programmes this month. As more destinations reopen, the company’s relationship with the trade remains constant and “a real source of pride” for McGeary and his family. “Agents are so important and that’s how we built our success in Australia and how we’ve built ourselves in the UK.”
UK GROWTH
Currently, more than half of APT’s customers travelling to Croatia for its small-ship coastal cruising are British, with the same figure seen for Vietnam. “Our Canada programme is growing too,” he reveals. “The Brits really like our product in Canada.” Around a quarter of Canada-bound passengers come from the UK.
Such confidence in the UK market has seen APT bolster its sales team with the recent appointment of head of sales Brad Bennetts, who is now recruiting for two business development roles to grow the team to its largest-ever size.
“My mum was our first sales rep back in the 1970s and she would take brochures around to travel agents in Melbourne,” McGeary recalls. “We’ve been doing that for decades and decades, and that’s not going to change our ethos and who we are.”
McGeary too has “a strong affinity” with British agents and their customers having ran APT’s UK sales office in London for 2004-2007. “My children learnt to walk and talk in the UK and still have – slight – English accents,” he says with a smile. “I loved my time living in the UK, travelling around the country to talk about our product and understand agents’ businesses.”
Another side of the business close to McGeary’s heart is APT’s push to operate more sustainably, having launched and chaired its non-profit One Tomorrow Foundation since 2019.
APT has invited environmental experts to assess its operations and help create plans to guide its future strategy.
“To make a big impact we need to be better educated and we’re assessing our business,” he explains. “I’m hoping we can make some very bold statements and commitments in the coming months.”
PLANNING AHEAD
McGeary’s ultimate aim is for APT to achieve B Corporation status; he hopes to deliver an update on the company’s progress by Easter. “We’ve got a strong desire [and] I’m sure we can have a big impact in the next three years. We’ll have greater clarity in the next six months.”
Fighting climate change is another challenge, perhaps the toughest in APT’s history. But from listening to McGeary, it’s one he clearly relishes. After all, a problem-solving streak runs in the family. “It’s an evolution. Change has been the one constant throughout our history.
“We’re not playing for the short-term and it’s not about this year’s profits. We’re planning ahead for another 100 years.”
