Bunnik Tours chief executive Dennis Bunnik explains how the business has been able to “grow rapidly”

Marion Bunnik opened the doors at Bunnik Tours in 1994, offering small group tours designed for Australian travellers. Chief executive Dennis Bunnik outlines the company’s latest activities.

Bunnik Group chief executive Dennis Bunnik, founder and product director Marion Bunnik and managing director Sacha Bunnik

Founder Marion Bunnik opened the doors at Bunnik Tours in 1994. The travel agency operates nationally and in Sri Lanka, offering small group tours designed for Australian travellers. Bunnik Group chief executive Dennis Bunnik explains how the company continues to innovate in a rapidly changing market.

1. What has been the one major highlight for the business in the past 12 months?

2018 has included a massive series of achievements for our business, the culmination of years of effort. We’ve been laying a strong foundation to ensure we could grow in a sustainable, profitable and ethical way.

We’ve been focused on defining and protecting our company culture. The flow on effects from communicating a single purpose to our employees have been immense, resulting in a series of achievements and wins across every department, and most importantly, for those enjoying our small group tours.

We’ve been able to grow rapidly whilst maintaining quality control, staff morale and customer and agent satisfaction. Most importantly we have created countless travel memories that have benefited both our host communities and our customers.

Bunnik Tours started as a family business back in 2003 where we had a small team of just six staff working hard to launch a handful of tours. From those humble beginnings to today where we have an Australian workforce of 65 staff – most of whom are located at our head office in Adelaide and a further 21 staff in Sri Lanka - it’s been quite a journey!

I will say the successful establishment and launch of our wholly owned branch office in Sri Lanka is something I am extremely proud of. It’s a country that has been very close to our heart ever since we were involved in extensive aid work after the 2003 Boxing Day Tsunami. The benefits to our staff from the exchanges between the offices have been enormous from a personal development and motivation point of view. The office there allows us to better service our agents and passengers after hours. It also helps maintain the work-balance of the staff in both locations and provides new opportunities to all our team members.

2. Can you identify one major challenge for the business?

Keeping apace with the swiftly-transforming escorted touring landscape means this business never grows tired. We’ve certainly noticed a growth in the small group touring niche which Bunnik Tours was instrumental in creating, along with the rapid rise of online disrupters.

When we created Bunnik Tours we had no experience in the touring sector, but plenty in travel itself. We challenged the dominant logic of the touring industry, particularly around group size.

We made it up as we went along at times, but we did this with three guiding principles in mind: creating the best possible holiday experience for the Australian customer; a focus on highly trained staff dedicated to providing exceptional service; and that we look to benefit rather than harm the places and communities we visit.

It’s a challenge to keep apace with such rapid transformation whilst remaining steady to your guiding principles, a challenge we continue to navigate. Our guiding principles have allowed us to build a strong and loyal following of clients and travel agents, and to grow strongly within in a very competitive and crowded market.

With regard to the online disrupters offering bare-bones, rushed itineraries – rather than seeing this as a challenge we have instead invested even more into our itineraries by adding more experiences that set our product apart. This includes things like Dining with the Danes in Copenhagen, an initiative that has been wholeheartedly embraced by everyone who has experienced it. Each couple (or 2-3 single travellers) on tour were invited to dinner with individual families in suburban Copenhagen. Over the course of the evening incredibly strong bonds were formed with hosts and the hosted loving their insight into life in each other’s country.

3. Any exciting project you are working on?

We are continuously developing new tours, experiences and destinations. Our product department generally works up to 18 months in advance so are already working on new tour ideas for 2020 in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas. We’d love to tell you what they are but their work is top secret!

4. Do you have any expansion plans currently underway or planned for the next 12 months?

Our team in Adelaide has grown by eight staff over the last 12 months and we expect similar growth in 2019 as our number of travellers and tour departures grow. As more people discover the benefits of small group travel we are seeing strong growth in all destinations but especially Africa and the Middle East. Egypt in particular is back, with Australian travellers flocking back to the Pyramids and Nile in record numbers.

5. What is your opinion of the state of the tourism industry in SA?

South Australia is a tourism gem but for a long time has remained a well-kept secret. With increased air capacity and new airlines flying into the state this is slowly changing and the world is discovering South Australia. This is resulting a strong and vibrant tourism industry which is providing real job opportunities for South Australians. Whilst we may be in the business of sending people overseas our heart is firmly placed in Adelaide and we rely on a strong tourism industry to ensure a continued supply of workers entering the industry.