In its latest marketing campaign, Journey Beyond asks Australians, “Are you ready to Journey Beyond?” It seems a lot of people are. So much so that, at its annual showcase in Sydney on Thursday, the company announced a major new target.
“We’re very committed to working our way towards $1 billion in revenue within two years,” Journey Beyond CEO Chris Tallent said at the event, which was held at Sydney Opera House’s Bennelong Restaurant.
While Tallent says this represents about 250% growth over current revenue, he maintains that it’s a “pretty ambitious… pretty achievable target”.
Journey Beyond has good reason to feel confident in its ambition. To say the company has grown in recent times would be an understatement.
“[2025] was a massive year… we’ve doubled in size literally in the last year,” Tallent told guests, including Karryon.
“Doubling the size in 12 months is pretty extraordinary given we were already a pretty big business.”
One of Australia’s largest experiential tourism operations, Journey Beyond now welcomes 2.7 million guests annually across 300 experiences in 80 destinations. Its inventory comprises 18 resorts, 50 vessels, 70 coaches, eight planes, and its backbone, 150 train carriages.
On top of that, it’s still growing.
“2025 was a transformative year for Journey Beyond. Our portfolio grew from 16 to 20 brands as we announced the addition of five remarkable experiences: Monarto Safari Resort, Grand Pacific Tours, Exmouth Dive & Whaleshark Ningaloo, Sailaway Port Douglas and Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia. This momentum has energised our entire organisation,” Tallent said.
It’s putting that energy to good effect too, with a lot more coming for the group in 2026 and beyond.
3 weeks to go
Key to its growth plans is the purchase of Voyages, announced in early December 2025.
“We’re really excited about this. We’re about three weeks away… to complete the acquisitions in terms of buying all of Voyages and all the operational assets,” the Journey Beyond boss stated.
Speaking to Karryon at the event, Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia CEO Matt Cameron-Smith says Journey Beyond has “shared values around an amazing guest experience, but also around a unique guest experience”.
“How can we do things that are hard to do elsewhere? Well, we can do that like no one else can,” he adds. Indeed, there literally isn’t anywhere else to stay in Yulara other than at the Voyages-operated, Ayers Rock Resort.
Smith also flags the “network of brands” Journey Beyond will bring while emphasising a “combination of expertise” the entities – two of Australia’s highest-profile tourism brands – will boast moving forward.
New luxury lodges
In mid-2025, Journey Beyond opened its Monarto Safari Resort, just outside of Adelaide. Karryon was one of the first to experience the resort (read our review here) and according to Tallent, has experienced “well over 90% occupancy for the last five months”.
On 2 April this year, it will open its 20 luxury Safari Lodges at the property.
“The Safari Lodge further expands our offering of immersive and unique tourism experiences and complements our extensive eco-lodges across Australia,” Chris said. So watch this space.
$30M refurb
A major announcement was the $30 million refurbishment of Cruise Whitsundays’ Reefworld. Reopening on 1 July 2026, the new Reefworld will be transformed into an overnight-only pontoon, exclusively for Reefsleep and Reefsuites guests.
“This next phase cements Reefworld as a globally unique, reef-immersive stay,” Journey Beyond Executive General Manager Sales and Partnerships Alicia Triggs said.
“Overnight guests will feel like they have the Great Barrier Reef entirely to themselves from the first snorkel of the day to the champagne moment, watching the sunset in this most remote iconic breathtaking destination before retiring for the evening under a canopy of stars.”
In addition, “Cruise Whitsundays’ newly refurbished Heart Pontoon will return to Hardy Reef in April 2026 as the exclusive base for Great Barrier Reef Adventure day tours”.
Since it opened in 2019, Reefworld, which boasts Australia’s first underwater accommodation, has welcomed nearly 340,000 guests.
“We’re incredibly proud of Reefworld and the thousands of guests who’ve created lifelong memories here,” General Manager of Cruise Whitsundays, Shaun Cawood, said.
“This next chapter will see Reefworld return as a world-class product, one that reinforces our position as the only operator with permanently moored pontoons in the Whitsundays, and one that continues to set the benchmark for immersive, premium reef experiences.”
The refurbishment will bring upgraded Reefsleep bedding, elevated all-inclusive dining, improved comfort and privacy, and refreshed reef-inspired design.
In addition, Cruise Whitsundays announced it welcome a new 35-metre catamaran to its fleet from 2027.
On track
Last year, Journey Beyond unveiled its new luxury suites, Aurora and Australis, on its three train journeys – The Ghan, Indian Pacific and Great Southern. Debuting in April, 2026 departures are already close to sold out.
“We’re thrilled by the demand for our new suites,” Journey Beyond’s Executive General Manager Marketing, Justine Lally, said.
“With bookings filling so quickly, we’re encouraging travellers to secure their preferred 2027 dates as early as possible.”
According to the company, around 90% of this year’s journeys in the new suites are sold out, while 25% of 2027’s journeys have already been snapped up.
Not to rest on its laurels, Journey Beyond announced that the company will also undertake a full interior redesign of the its Platinum sleeper cabins, with the first phase of the refurbishment to be delivered in 2027. In total, six sleeping carriages along with two lounge and dining carriages will be upgraded over a two-year period.
“The upgrade of our Platinum cabins represents a $5 million investment in maintaining the guest experience on our iconic rail journeys,” Lally added.
“These refreshed spaces will offer even greater travel style, elevated design, and thoughtful touches that reflect the unique character of our trains.
“Our guests already choose Platinum for its space, privacy, and premium service, and this refurbishment will take that experience to an exceptional new level.”
Journey Beyond Executive General Manager of Rail David Donald also unveiled a new chapter for The Ghan, with a new northbound itinerary to be extended to a three-night, four-day experience.
“By extending the northbound journey, we’re allowing travellers to slow down, deepen their connection to Country, and discover Outback Australia in a way that is both immersive and unforgettable,” he added.
“The journey begins with a signature dinner in South Australia’s acclaimed Clare Valley wine region, where guests are introduced to the flavours and stories that define the place. From there, Off Train Experiences in the Flinders Ranges spending a full day immersed in one of Australia’s most breathtaking and culturally significant landscapes.”
KARRYON UNPACKS: Journey Beyond’s billion-dollar ambition isn’t bravado. Rapid portfolio growth, big-ticket investments and strong forward bookings suggest Australia’s experiential tourism giant is betting big, and backing it, with travel advisors in frame.
