First Choice clients and rail travel are not a natural pairing but, according to flight-free holiday specialist Byway, the two are getting on just fine.
Byway has been quietly forging partnerships with a diverse array of operators and brands, including Intrepid Travel, Exodus Adventure Travels, CV Villas, Co-op Holidays and, of course, First Choice.
Head of partnerships Paul Conroy is keen to dispel misconceptions about these tie-ups, especially with First Choice, which he reveals drove “far more” website traffic than any other operator in June.
“We’re introducing flight-free [travel] to an audience that has probably never considered it,” he tells TTG.
Conroy insists partnerships won’t usurp sales via the main Byway brand, but stresses: “We think this is one of our key pillars in the next few years.”
These partnerships extend to agents, with Byway now sold in all Kuoni and Midcounties Co-op shops. “One of the things I would love to do this year is reach out to more agents,” he continues.
Conroy name checks London independent Travel Matters, a fellow B Corp business, as an example of a successful agency partnership. “We regularly get bookings from them,” he says.
The joy of the journey
More operators are sought. Conroy explains how the partnership with Exodus came about. “We got to know them through Travel by B Corp. Customers wanted walking tours of Amalfi, but asked if they could do it without flying – the joy of the journey is what Byway is all about.”
Set up in 2020, Byway remains a niche player, but sales are snowballing. “In January and February, we were selling more than 400 passengers a month. I think we did more by Valentine’s Day this year than in all of 2023,” he said.
Last month, the business secured £5 million investment from Heartcore Capital and early-stage venture fund Eka Ventures. Better technology is top of the shopping list, starting with an upgrade for the app used to support clients on their itineraries.
Marrying rail travel with booking technologies is another challenge. “Train travel is quite fragmented,” says Conroy. “Getting timetables, routes and billing on API is difficult. The investment will help; you’ll see us posting a number of IT jobs in the coming months.”
More marketing is another ambition. “We’ve never really done any traditional marketing – our chief marketing officer is excited about having freedom to experiment,” says Conroy, hinting this would tie in with trade partnerships.
New horizons
A push into Europe is also on the agenda. “There is nothing stopping a [Byway] customer starting in Paris, Amsterdam or Madrid – we’re excited about launching Byway in Europe,” he adds.
Conroy admits to being surprised by Byway’s customer demographic. “When we launched, we thought – stupidly – that lots of customers would be 20-40, focused on sustainability and making commitments not to fly.
"But the majority are 55-plus. I think something happened after the pandemic, people just don’t enjoy flying as much.”
