Plenty of tour operators call themselves “small group” these days. But according to Back-Roads Touring Managing Director Ed Pettitt, it’s not enough to say it. You’ve got to mean it – and more importantly, use it to your customers’ advantage.
“Most brands… try to get into small group touring. Small group is fantastic, but you need to use it, use that experience… like ‘what’s the benefit of being a small group’?” Pettitt tells Karryon in a recent interview in Sydney.
For Back-Roads Touring, the size of a group matters less than how it unlocks a completely different experience. For instance, their vehicles, similar in size to a Mercedes Sprinter van, aren’t just for show: they’re a means to places the larger vehicles can’t reach.
“We can go down tiny, little back lanes, so we can access villages and old roads and trackways that you couldn’t without that vehicle,” Pettitt explains.
“So what do we use those roads for? Well, to go to that tiny village that has a history and a story, and to stay in that locally-owned hotel, which is unlike any other place you’re going to stay in that country or that region, because it’s truly authentic to the region we travel.”
“So it’s great that we’re small group, but we use that small group to do things that the other operators just can’t do.”
Access all areas
That access is just one reason Back-Roads can build the kind of regional tours most larger operators can’t, or don’t. Forget your Paris-Rome-London tick-box approach. Think Puglia instead. Or the Scottish islands. Or a 10-day deep dive through Wales.
“A lot of our customers, and I think this is not just Back-Roads customers, but a lot of people entering their mid-50s to mid-60s, have travelled extensively. This generation isn’t coming in fresh to Europe,” Ed says.
“We know that our customers have been pretty well-travelled. So the idea of ticking off the highlights, going to see London, Paris, Rome… there’s value in that, but for the emerging customer, they want to go deeper into those countries.”
To that end, Back-Roads tours don’t just skim the surface. They lean heavily on regional knowledge, with guides who are often locals and bring a real sense of place.
“So a massive part of what we do… is to have regional tour leaders who’ve worked with us for a long time, who have the passion and knowledge of their local region, to really bring it to life and to show our customers,” Pettitt explains.
And then there’s the flexibility. Back-Roads Touring caps its group sizes at 18, with an average of 16 guests. That opens up the chance to pivot mid-tour in a way many bigger operators simply can’t.
“So, especially in Ireland and the UK, a lot of people travelling have a familial link to the places they’re travelling to. And because we have tour leaders who are from those regions, we’re able to be flexible,” Ed remarks.
“So if, for example, you had a family history with a certain village, we’re more likely than not going to detour or go through that village. Stop at the local pub for a beer. You can’t do that with 40 people. You can’t really do it with 25.”
Doubling down
That small-group model is clearly resonating too. Since 2023, Back-Roads has doubled its business – and it’s on track to do it again by 2027.
As such, Pettitt says demand is surging, with around 90% of scheduled seats now selling.
“There’s overwhelming demand for what we’re doing [but] there’s a real challenge with access. We can get that access because of our long-standing history,” the Briton remarks.
“So we plan to double again in the next two years. We do not intend to water down the product.”
And growth hasn’t come at the expense of the experience. In fact, customer feedback suggests the opposite.
“Last year we delivered an NPS of 73 from a 78% feedback rate. That’s a significant return rate,” Pettitt says.
In short, it means the company is scaling without slipping.
Thinking local
But while many brands push to expand globally, Back-Roads Touring is doing the opposite. The operator has deliberately chosen not to run tours in Asia, North America or elsewhere simply because it’s not their patch.
“Our heritage, our IP… is Europe and the UK,” Pettitt says.
“We have been established for 40 years in Europe. And we choose to only operate in the regions and in the countries that we know.”
Which makes its new tagline, “Expertly crafted small group tours”, spot on.
“That perfectly encapsulates that this is our backyard,” Pettit tells Karryon.
Right now, more spring and autumn tours are being added, particularly in Southern Europe. And more off-the-radar trips, like a regional loop around Milan launching in 2026, are coming online. But don’t expect to see any wholesale changes to its inventory.
“We feel that Back-Roads is primed to go from a niche to a known operator, not by changing the ingredients and the recipe of our product, but by telling more people.”
Karryon also recently spoke to Back-Roads Touring APAC General Manager Anna Fawcett, who dished out on the operator’s new branding, latest price freeze promo, long-awaited famil, and first-ever high-achievers program. Read that here.
