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Travel Indochina rebrands - looks at new destinations

After more than two decades of operating as Travel Indochina, the tour operator has been rebranding with a new title that better reflects the company’s offerings and its potential expansion.

After more than two decades of operating as Travel Indochina, the tour operator has been rebranding with a new title that better reflects the company’s offerings and its potential expansion.

Effective 2 February, Travel Indochina will be known as Insider Journeys.

The new name reflects the personal experiences guests can expect on an Insider Journeys' tour.

The new name reflects the personal experiences guests can expect on an Insider Journeys’ tour.

Announcing the change to KarryOn, the company’s founder Paul Hole said the name Travel Indochina had served the company well over the last twenty one years, however, research over the last 18 months found the title didn’t reflect the company’s philosophy and focus.

“Initially, we wanted to find a new way to talk about us and our brand. However, as research progressed we realised something more radical needed to be done.”

Paul Hole, Insider Journeys founder

He said that although previous clients loved and understood the brand – nine out of ten even said they’d recommend the company to friends – it didn’t fit on a personal level with potential travellers and nor did it reflect what the company does.

“We’ve evolved beyond the borders of Indochina. We’re now taking travellers into other areas of Asia and we needed a name that represented that and our commitment to creating an experience that’s more than just being a tourist.”

 

What exactly has changed?

The name will be changed on all paraphernalia – including tour buses, tickets, itineraries, itinerary packaging, documents and staff uniforms.

“Everything will be updated from the hats on the tour guides in Laos to travel documentation.”

Paul Hole, Insider Journeys founder

On 2 February any client on tour with Travel Indochina will receive a letter from staff wearing the new getup. The letter will explain the change and why they are now travelling with Insider Journeys.

As well as the new logo, branding will include the new tagline ‘Imagine the Stories’, which Mr Hole says captures their clients’ imaginations.

The company has worked with creative agency and KarryOn’s parent company, Leedham Creative to launch three new brochures under the new branding, including the ‘Small Group Journeys’ book, which features 2015/16 itineraries around Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Burma, China, India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Japan and Mongolia.

 

How does the change affect agents?

Changes should make it easier for agents to understand and sell itineraries.

Changes should make it easier for agents to understand and sell itineraries.

It should make it easier to explain and sell the company’s itineraries, according to Hole.

He said agents play a ‘tremendous role’ in the sales of Insider Journeys.

As a result, agents will receive extensive information about the change and there’ll be a refreshed agents portal online.

The tour group will also organise a number of incentive famils for agents to experience the new brand first hand later this year.

 

Have itineraries changed?

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New brochures created with Leedham Creative feature the company’s new logo and ‘insider’ itineraries.

“What we do is right – it’s how we talk about it that has changed.”

Agents will notice in brochures the company now features more exclusive experiences in itineraries to make trips more personal and create unique memories for clients.

Every itinerary has a special ‘Our Insider Experiences’ box that delves a little deeper into what guests can expect on their holiday.

For example on an eight-day Southern Thailand trip travellers will stay in tents at Elephant Hills Khao Sok and learn about the life of Thai elephants and the elephant conservation project.

 

Is Insider Journeys heading outside of Asia?

Yes, but not just quite yet.

Mr Hole didn’t reveal any specifics, but he did tell KarryOn the name change allows the company to expand its business to other regions.

“Watch this space.”

What do you think of the new branding?