Meaningful travel company announces new destination and shakes up its PR activity.
Meaningful travel company Rickshaw Travel has announced it will launch new trips to Japan by September 2017 and has appointed Rooster PR as its retained UK press office following a competitive pitch.
This year, Rickshaw will be launching a range of bite-size trips and itineraries across Japan, including experiences in Hiroshima, Takayama, Nara & Kyoto. Travellers will get the chance to experience the real Japan, whether it’s sake tasting in a local brewery or learning how to become a traditional Japanese gardener.
When Japan is added to Rickshaw Travel’s growing portfolio, the company will offer trips in 26 destinations across Asia, Central and South America, and Africa, including Cuba, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, India, Costa Rica, Peru, Borneo, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Chile and Brazil. The company’s turnover and passengers carried increased by 50% from 2015 to 2017 and the company is aiming for a further 30% increase by 2019.
As part of its growth strategy, Rickshaw has appointed Rooster to manage its pro-active and re-active press office to build brand awareness and aid company growth. This will include developing and implementing a content-focused PR plan, targeted media outreach, maximising press trip opportunities and crisis management where required. The agency will also help Rickshaw educate press and consumers about the importance of meaningful travel and plant the seeds for those who could be inspired to ‘travel with meaning’.
‘Travelling with meaning’ means travelling in a way everybody benefits: the traveller benefits from enriching experiences where they learn something new (about the destination, culture, a skill or about themselves) and at the same time the local people, animals and/or environment benefit too.
Lloyd Kane, Director at Rickshaw Travel, said: “We’re thrilled to launch Japan – our 26th destination – and welcome Rooster on board during this exciting time in our journey. As a meaningful travel company, it’s crucial our partners share our ethos – and Rooster have clearly demonstrated they share our values of being brave, transparent and genuine. The team’s passion and enthusiasm for what we’re about shines through. We were particularly impressed by their creativity during the pitch process and it’s great to see them hit the ground running straight away.”
James Brooke, Managing Director at Rooster, said: “We were won over by Rickshaw’s ethos from the get-go as it’s closely aligned with our own. At Rooster, we’re proud to support companies that make a real difference – from JustGiving to the Women in Travel social enterprise and sustainable coffee cup brand Ecoffee Cup. We’re looking forward to helping Rickshaw shake up its PR activity – starting with the launch of Japan – and spread the word about the benefits of meaningful travel.”
Rickshaw Travel is an independent tour operator committed to providing enriching, immersive, meaningful travel experiences. The friendly, Brighton-based travel company believes in creating meaningful travel experiences that take holidaymakers off the beaten path and into the heart of local communities.
Rickshaw’s unique approach to independent exploration enables adventurous holidaymakers to visit the heart of a destination and really experience the local culture. Rickshaw’s dedicated Product Team has worked alongside the company’s in-destination partners to create a choice of carefully selected bite-size trips, typically 2-4 days long, which can be combined to create the perfect itinerary. These bite-size trips include a range of local excursions, authentic accommodation and some transfers (from sleeper trains and private transfers to tuk-tuks!) to ensure a hassle-free adventure.
As a team of wildlife-lovers, Rickshaw understands the importance of animal welfare in tourism and is committed to making the world a better place for animals and encouraging travellers to do the same. The company has partnered with World Animal Protection to develop an Animal Welfare Policy, closely follows ABTA’s Global Welfare Guidance for Animals in Tourism and is in the process of auditing trips involving wild animal interaction.
As well as looking after its travellers, Rickshaw puts people first in all aspects of the business: from guides and porters to partners, local projects and its UK-based staff. A testament to this, Rickshaw won Employer of the Year and Overall Business of the Year at the 2016 Brighton and Hove Independent Business Awards.
For more information, go to https://www.rickshawtravel.co.uk/, https://www.facebook.com/rickshawtravel/, https://twitter.com/Rickshaw_Travel or https://www.instagram.com/rickshaw_travel/.
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For further press information, please contact:
Melissa Hobson/Natalie Garland/James Brooke
Rooster PR
T: +44 (0)20 3440 8927
E: [email protected]
About Rickshaw Travel
Rickshaw Travel is an independent tour operator based in Brighton. They are committed to providing enriching, immersive travel experiences that take holidaymakers off the beaten path and into the heart of local communities.
Meaningful travel – or travelling in a way that everybody benefits from – is the core ethos of Rickshaw: the traveller benefits from enriching experiences where they learn something new (about the destination, culture, a skill or about themselves) and at the same time the local people, animals and/or environment benefit too.
Rickshaw Travel’s individual approach to independent exploration enables adventurous holidaymakers to visit the heart of a destination and experience the real spirit of a local culture. Rickshaw specialises in offering small-scale, authentic accommodation that truly reflects the character of each destination.
Rickshaw are proud to have built up a team of passionate Travel Specialists who each have extensive travel experience in their own dedicated destinations. They pride themselves on being open and honest about the places they have visited and are on hand to inspire and support travellers. The company’s style of travel is unique – Rickshaw’s dedicated Product Team has worked alongside the company’s in-destination partners to create a choice of carefully selected bite-size trips, typically 2-4 days long, which can be combined to create the perfect itinerary. Rickshaw’s bite-size trips include a range of local excursions, charming authentic accommodation and some transfers to ensure a hassle-free holiday.
Protecting nature and wildlife – and encouraging travellers to do the same – is also key for the Rickshaw team. The company has partnered with World Animal Protection to develop an Animal Welfare Policy, has committed to supporting the end of elephant riding by signing World Animal Protection’s elephant-friendly pledge, and is in the process of auditing trips involving any type of wild animal interaction.
Rickshaw Travel now offers trips in 25 destinations across Asia, Central and South America, and Africa, including Cuba, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, India, Costa Rica, Peru, Borneo, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Chile and Brazil and is launching Japan by September 2017. The company’s turnover and passengers carried increased by 50% from 2015 to 2017 and the company is aiming for a further 30% increase by 2019.
For more information, visit https://www.rickshawtravel.co.uk/, https://www.facebook.com/rickshawtravel/, https://twitter.com/Rickshaw_Travel or https://www.instagram.com/rickshaw_travel/ or call 01273 934 823.
