“I think for some there may even be an allergy towards ‘cookie cutter tourism’," Jones tells TTG. "One reason Byway has taken off is that the experience density of overland travel is so much greater [than by air].”
The rail specialist has grown passenger numbers three-fold year-on-year since launching in March 2020 to almost 3,400, with 2,305 more passengers travelling with Byway over the past year.
Meanwhile, a survey of its customers over the past year revealed 40% believe they would have flown had they not booked a Byway trip, up from 27% when compared with those asked the same question a year earlier.
Byway’s impact report, released on Tuesday (30 April), reveals travellers opting to travel on a flight-free Byway trip saved more than 750 tonnes of CO2 by not flying to their destinations.
Jones recognises some of those may not have chosen to fly, or even go on holiday at all, but Byway’s survey reveals almost two-thirds of its customers do still fly at least occasionally.
"There is an extraordinary number of customers who don’t have a journey-led mindset when it comes to travel,” Jones says. “It’s getting to know them and introduce them to that newer form of travelling.”
The operator’s hard work is paying off though – more than 80% of Byway’s customers who also fly say they would book another Byway trip, or would recommend flight-free travel with the operator to friends and family.
While Jones concedes sustainability isn’t front of mind for most customers when booking a trip, she remarks: “Isn’t it lovely when great experiences and sustainability come together – and when people don’t [travel flight-free] because they ought to, they do it because they want to."
Byway’s ambition for growth is also leaning into the travel agent trade, with around 10 trade partnerships in place including with Kuoni’s retail network and Midcounties Co-op, and independent agencies such as fellow B Corp Certified business Travel Matters.
The operator says it is “happy to work with any agent who had a customer base looking to travel in a more sustainable way and who love our multi-stop overland travel holidays”. “We want to help the industry where they know their customers will enjoy the type of experience we offer,” Jones adds.
