He’s detailed to me some of the rewards agents working with the operator can look forward to ahead of its birthday celebrations next year. “We’ve worked with the trade since the beginning – we were with Trailfinders, and even shared a property with them back in the seventies.”
Exodus Adventure Travels, formerly Exodus Travels, turns 50 in 2024. But the new name and refreshed brand that went live in September are not the only celebrations the company is planning – and agents can rest assured they will be invited to the party.
Seward confirms there are some “top-secret” trade-related extras in the offing, and a mega-fam to “bring agents together somewhere incredible and celebrate with us” in 2024. Exodus will also be “doubling down” on its agent loyalty programme, Exodus Agent Collective, with some more celebratory offers.
“Exodus probably wouldn’t be the household name it is without those relationships in the trade," says Seward. "So the 50th year would be a great way of saying thank you."
Seward is “absolutely” adamant that Exodus wants to grow its business with agents, pointing towards new trade relationships and restoration of a full strength trade team.
Exodus now has three on-the-road staff in the UK, down from its high of four, spending face-to-face time with agents, alongside a dedicated trade trainer.
“We all missed that part of the dynamic," Seward continues. "The more interaction you can have with agents in person, the better, because you can just get so much more across."
50 years, 50 new products
Seward reveals Exodus Adventure Travels will mark its milestone birthday with 50 new “special departures”.
"We’ve got 50 new products coming to market, 50 special departures," he explains. "We’ll be focusing those on destinations which are really either our heartland and our long-standing volume places, but also those experiencing a boom.”
Seward is coy on the specifics, but he hints at Italy – “always a number one seller” – while Costa Rica, he says, has “roared back into life” after Covid. Jordan and Egypt have seen impressive take-up, he adds.
"We’re looking to travel in periods of the year where it’s not going to be overwhelming and reduce the experience to the customer.”
Seward reveals Exodus Adventure Travels’ customers are demanding more comfort; the operator is responding with new “premium” products in the pipeline.
“Those trips will include higher quality, higher star-rated accommodation and more inclusions," he explains. "The demand for premium is definitely something we’re trying to meet because our customers are asking us for more comfort.”
The operator has also committed to expanding its programme in Europe, with more product in Spain and Italy "than ever before”.
Seward chalks Exodus’s "very high" repeat rates down to the “non-commoditised” experience the operator serves up to its customers. “Once people do one of these trips with us, we often find they’re booking two or three further departures. We’ve got customers who’ve done 50-plus trips with us – it’s not unusual."
He continues: “We offer very few trips that go to really iconic tourist hotspots. Our proposition is to take you behind the destination so you can understand the community and culture. It’s not really in our DNA to have people go through the big motorway spots.”
