How Footsteps Travel Carved Out The Path to Success!

At PTS, we love to celebrate our members as they continue to grow. We are incredibly proud of all our members, whatever milestone they’re at with their business, and we are always so glad to see the tools and support we provide going to great use supporting such successful businesses. One of those successes that we had a fantastic time talking to, was Footsteps Travel and Jo Farrant.

Who Are Footsteps Travel?

Footsteps Travel is an independent travel agency offering escorted tours from Northampton by coach from garden shows, to London theatre, seaside, and short breaks. They also provide a travel agency service for those wanting independent holidays.

Footsteps was established in 2007 when Jo began running day trips by coach to the West End. Jo later joined PTS in 2020 after the pandemic “gave me the opportunity to a step back and re-evaluate the direction of the business, and joining PTS opened up a whole new world for us.

“I discovered PTS through an online search, and once I spoke with Grant, I knew it was the right fit for us, so I joined straight away.”

What Has It Been Like as a PTS Member for Footsteps?

Joining PTS “opened new doors for us” and Footsteps have since expanded their offerings to include escorted cruises, river cruises, and city breaks. Jo said that it’s wonderful getting to see their customers experience places like Alaska, Akureyri, and Amsterdam, just a few of the destinations that they have been able to offer in 2024 with the growth of their business, and they’re always looking to expand their destination list for their loyal customers.

When Jo came across PTS as a support package, “we were initially looking for financial bonding, but with PTS we also gained the bonus of maximum flexibility, the ability to earn 100% commission and to feel part of a family.” Though we weren’t originally what they was looking for, Jo stated that PTS was an even better option than they originally wanted and Footsteps Travel has been a fantastic business to support ever since.

“PTS gave us access to a wide range of suppliers, which allowed us to expand our offerings for clients and provided us with the financial protection we needed,” Jo added. “The [onboarding] paperwork felt extensive at times, but being totally honest, the PTS team were always just a phone call away and made the whole process relatively stress-free. The support from the team has been invaluable, and the new website has made the administrative side of things much easier.”

What Successes Have Footsteps Travel Achieved Since 2020?

Coming out of the pandemic the team was just Jo and Charlotte. Now, Footsteps Travel are coming to the end of 2024 with a team of 14. They have 5 hosts who escort the day trips and short breaks along with 8 office/shop staff and Jo is always dividing time between the shops, office, and escorting trips to get involved with all aspects of the business.

“From 2007 – 2023 we were office-based, without direct customer interaction, but in 2023, I acquired a long-established high street travel agency and brought on a full-time travel agent to handle independent holidays. This expansion allowed us to offer even more services to our loyal customer base.

“In 2024, Poynters Coaches, our trusted coach provider since day one, purchased a shiny new Footsteps branded coach for our tours, another exciting milestone in our growth. This brand new coach offers a new level of comfort for our clients as well as promoting the Footsteps brand.”

Footsteps have seen incredible growth, expanding from 3,000 passengers annually in 2021 to over 10,000 at the start of 2024, with numbers still rising each month. Despite this rapid growth, Jo and the team are extremely conscious that people choose to travel with Footsteps because they offer a very personal service and whilst they’ve grown at such a rate in the last 3 years, the personal touch is still at the forefront of their business module.

“Our clients value remains at the heart of everything we do. It’s about creating meaningful experiences and lasting relationships and that’s why our customers return trip after trip.”