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Interview with Jay Clark, Global Head of Operations

Tell us your story. How did Busabout get started?
Busabout was created by The Travel Corporation in 1998 as an alternative type of travel designed for the more flexible traveller. The company began with our Hop-on Hop-off coach network in Europe and a commitment to the independent traveller to make their time, money and experiences go further by allowing them to decide where they go and how long they stay in each place. Since its creation in 1998, Busabout has expanded to offer a range of trips in Europe including Adventures, Sailing and Festivals, and has also grown to now offer trips in Southeast Asia and North America.

What makes Busabout different from your competitors?
Busabout offers travel types for every type of traveller. We have our amazing guides on every trip who will provide passengers with information and recommendations for each destination, but other elements of our trips are all customisable, depending on the type of passenger. Where our competitors specialise mostly in traditional guided tours, we offer passengers the opportunity to create their own personalised itinerary using our online Adventure Planner, the freedom and flexibility to choose where they go and how long they stay with our Hop-on Hop-off coach network and plenty of free time to get involved with the local cultures on our fixed itinerary Adventures, Sailing and Festival trips. Busabout is an alternative option for those who are looking for the choice and control to explore destinations the way they want to.

What is your favourite success story from your organisation?
In the past year, Busabout has become more technology focused, creating game changing, innovative technology in the travel industry, with our favourite success story being our online Adventure Planner. The Adventure Planner gives passengers the ability to create their perfect customised trip with transport, accommodation and expert crew included. They have the freedom to choose from 38 European destinations, meaning they don’t have to stick to a set itinerary designed by someone else. The custom itineraries are also shareable, so passengers can get their friends and family on board for the trip of a lifetime!

What can we expect to see from Busabout in the future?
We are currently working on widening our global appeal. We have traditionally been focused on the Australian youth market but are working on expand this focus into other regions.

We’re also broadening our offering by allowing passengers to create their perfect trips that are customisable and tailored just for them using our online Adventure Planner

Which trends do you see in educational and active youth travel?
Young people are leaning more towards experiential travel, being able to tick off bucket list experiences in the destinations they’re visiting. They’re wanting to immerse themselves in the local cultures and really get to know a destination rather than having a fleeting visit and only seeing the landmarks. Young people are now also taking shorter trips – where they once might have taken one big 4-month trip, they’re now taking a few shorter trips throughout the year.

How do you work to ensure the health and safety of young travellers involved with Busabout?
The health and safety of our passengers is paramount to Busabout, so when contracting we make sure we carry out full due diligence checks to ensure that our partners are all held to an extremely high standard. Our operations team also conducts inspections throughout the season to check that this standard is being upheld and to rectify any issues before they arise.

What was your motivation to join WYSE Travel Confederation?
We wanted to join WYSE Travel Confederation to show support for the travel industry and also to gain access to a wide support network. We’re also interested in access to research that can help inform us about trends in the industry.

Have you attended a WYSE Travel Confederation event?
Yes, we have attended numerous WYSE events. They’re great conferences with a lot of relevant, like-minded partners and we’ve found that they provide viable business opportunities for us too.