Oddtrips General Manager Paul Hocking told travelBulletin the company is aiming to expand offerings in eastern Europe, including the Baltics, Balkans, and the Stans of Central Asia, due to the popularity of these destinations within Oddtrips’ first month of operations.
The business has also seen demand for the Indonesian island of Lombok, which Hocking said appeals to “people who’ve been to Bali [and want] to do a similar experience, but in a bit more of an authentic way”.
Hocking said Oddtrips plans to work closely with agents and educate them in selling its tours, while also marketing directly to the consumer.
“We’ve got regular ads that go out direct to consumers and we make it super easy for them to book online,” he said.
“But at the same time, we place huge value on what travel agents do for our industry and we want to work with [them] as well.
“We’ve already had a few agents reach out who want to work with us, and I think the more agents that we can partner with the better to make selling these sorts of less-visited destinations a bit easier for them.”
Hocking explained to travelBulletin that social media has played a huge role in identifying in-demand destinations for its itineraries.
“Seeing what’s trending on [social media], you get a good idea of what’s at the forefront of where people might be wanting to go next,” he said.
Central Asia has seen a huge uplift in tourism this year, Hocking pointed out, especially among Instagram and TikTok users, who tend to highlight the region’s untouched rugged landscapes and adventure experiences.
As well as providing journeys to obscure destinations, the tour operator also aims to give back to the communities it visits.
“Say there’s a destination we want to offer…[we conduct] a lot of research into the operators, having detailed calls with them to see what they want, how they can help, and curating trips that really showcase their destination in a more meaningful way.”
