For a company renowned for delivering memorable, sometimes even life-changing, adventures for its clients, Bunnik Tours has been on a heck of a journey itself.
It’s a trip that’s seen the business grow into one of Australia’s favourite small group tour companies, pick up numerous awards – including NTIA (National Travel Industry Awards) gongs in both travel agency and tour operator categories, an achievement Joint-CEO Dennis Bunnik believes is a unique achievement in the Aussie travel industry – and most importantly, win the hearts of travel trade partners and consumers.
It’s also a journey that this week hit 30 years – and is being duly celebrated with big bashes across Australia and abroad. Starting in Adelaide, the 30th birthday party rolled into Sydney on Thursday and hits Melbourne next Tuesday before heading to Sri Lanka and Slovenia, where Bunnik also has offices, in April.
At the Sydney extravaganza alone, there were over 100 partners present, including travel agency groups like Flight Centre, Helloworld, TravelManagers and itravel, who received a special shout-out.
“I’ve always said that Australia has the best travel agents anywhere in the world, and that’s because we travel further and longer than everybody else, and the travel agent support that we’ve had from day one has been incredible,” Dennis told guests at the event.
Speaking to Karryon, he added that Bunnik wanted to celebrate the “totality of this journey… and to do that with the people who made it happen, which are the people in the room tonight”.
“The travel agents who’ve supported us, the trade, the media, our airline partners – it’s been really, really incredible.”
Stories to tell
There are enough stories in the Bunnik family, and therefore at Bunnik too, because Bunnik Tours is nothing if not a family business (it states in its recently rebranded tagline, ‘family run since forever’), to fill a first-class baggage allowance (which we reckon company founder Marion Bunnik could literally fill, based on her son’s testimony about her large-scale approach to packing).
During a panel chat with MC Mark Carter, we hear just a few – from how Dennis got his foot stuck in a French toilet as a kid (not trying to wash his foot in a bidet) to how brother and Joint-CEO Sacha Bunnik got his e-visa for Saudi Arabia in an expired passport in January this year (he wasn’t deported by the way).
Although Bunnik Tours turned 30, its origins can be traced back to a passion for travel that was instilled in Dennis and Sacha from a young age. Particularly from mum, Marion, who even now is happy to head off to literally any destination (DFAT advice be damned), we’re told.
It started when the Bunnik family emigrated to Australia from the Netherlands when the boys were young – and it seems they haven’t stopped travelling since.
Part of a recent rebrand, Bunnik Tours states in its tagline that ‘Travel isn’t what we do, it’s who we are.’. It’s hard to argue with that. The Bunniks live and breathe travel – and wouldn’t you want that in your travel expert?
Marion and Sacha apparently lead in the country count, but Dennis can brag of an enormous YouTube following of his adventures (currently sitting at a whopping 136K subscribers, which could be why you know his face so well).
But it’s a passion for travel that the Bunniks have also inspired in their clients through thoughtful itineraries and indeed their team, which could easily be an extension of the family itself.
“We treat them like family. They treat us like family and most of them have been there for 20 years, 25 years,” Sacha says.
Bunnik 2.0? Not really
Over the years, Bunnik has gone through a few shifts. But in its recent rebrand, it’s kept it simple. After all, why fix something that ain’t broke? According to Dennis, recent research revealed an impressive 94 per cent of its customers would recommend the company to its family and friends.
“This is the first time we looked at everything, rather than just the logo. And it involved a fair bit of research that involved talking to a lot of stakeholders, customers, travel agents and suppliers and staff… and what came out of it is that we just need to do more of what we do,” Dennis said.
“Travel isn’t what we do, it’s who we are… We’re going to keep travelling until we no longer can.”
And where are its customers travelling right now?
“For us, Europe’s really hot,” Dennis told Karryon at the Sydney event.
“Asia, so, Japan, Korea and Sri Lanka are also doing really well. Africa’s doing well… and coming back are South America and the Middle East.”
Biggest ever incentive
As part of its 30th celebration, Bunnik is launching its biggest-ever agent incentive.
In its Big Birthday Giveaway, Bunnik will be awarding four trips for two people on Bunnik tours around the world. The incentive will run from 1 April to the end of November.
“Now these are not educationals. These are regular Bunnik tours that you and a partner can go on,” Dennis explained.
The incentive comprises trips to Egypt, Sri Lanka, Peru and Portugal, with flights included in all trips (except Portugal).
That’s something else worth celebrating.
For more information, visit www.bunniktours.com.au.
