Established in 2014 by Richard Hanson, Andrew Laycock, and Simon Whittle, Distant Journeys has rapidly developed a reputation for creating unforgettable travel experiences. The company’s dedication to excellence has not only won it numerous awards but also enabled expansion beyond its core offerings in Australia and New Zealand to new destinations like India, Japan, and Sri Lanka. Known for their meticulous attention to detail and emphasis on superior customer service, their tours are designed to be leisurely and thorough, appealing to those seeking immersive travel experiences.
With the new funding, Distant Journeys plans to enhance its offerings in established markets and aims to extend its reach with expansion into new destinations. Operational improvements are also on the agenda, with investments earmarked for upgrading sales and customer engagement systems.
Supporting MD Simon Whittle, who remains with the business to lead these growth initiatives, Mobeus has introduced several key executives who will join the established senior management team. Richard Bowden-Doyle will assume the role of Chairman, bringing a wealth of experience from his tenure at industry giants such as Thomson Holidays, Thomas Cook, and Lastminute.com, along with leadership roles at Saga Travel Group, Titan Travel UK, and Neilson Active Holidays. Joining as Commercial Director, Daniel Acarnley brings expertise from ITC Travel and Destinology, while Ewan Moore, who spent many years at Riviera Travel, will serve as Finance Director.
The investment was co-led by Chris Price and Freddie Bacon with support from Samira Aminzare. Mobeus Managing Partner, Ashley Broomberg will join the board on completion.
Chris Price commented, “Distant Journeys is a quiet success story of the UK travel industry. As we got to know the business we began to understand that the DNA of the business hits a sweet spot for customers who want to travel to a bucket list destination, do it once, do it properly but do it in a way that means they relax and enjoy the experience from start to finish.“
Mobeus received advisory support from CIL (Commercial DD), Moonpea (Technology DD), Cavendish (Buyside), HMT (Financial DD), SPB (Legal), Grant Thornton (Tax Structuring), and Sustainable Advantage (ESG). Mobeus was introduced to Distant Journeys by Stewart Lambert of Firebird Partnership.