Inside Travel Group | Building a Brand, Private Equity & Working With Your Best Mate
Simon King and Alastair Donnelly are the co-founders of Inside Travel Group, the specialist operator behind the renowned brands InsideJapan and InsideAsia.
They’ve recently celebrated 25 years in business and grown a business with people and purpose at its heart, whilst scaling and evolving from two friends in a university dorm to a global tour operator.
My first contact with Simon and Alastair came at an AITO event where they were talking about their 25th anniversary.
They were great storytellers and talked about the ups and downs they’d had along the way. I left with so many questions and decided I had to hunt them down for the podcast.
Simon and Alastair have experienced the ultimate highs and lows of the travel industry, from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake to the existential threat of the global pandemic. Through it all, they have remained committed to their original mission: providing deep, authentic cultural immersion.
In 2023, they achieved B Corp certification, cementing their commitment to balancing profit with a positive impact on people and the planet.
They’ve also navigated the complex world of private equity, and we dive into that experience here and what they’ve learned along the way which I found fascinating.
This was a fascinating conversation different to any I’ve had on the podcast so far. Any tour operator or company in travel or hospitality can learn a lot from Alastair and Simon’s knowledge and what they share very candidly here.
Enjoy!
Podcast Timestamps
00:00 The Journey Begins: From University to Business
07:49 Falling in Love with Japan: The Teaching Experience
10:40 Inspiration Strikes: The Idea for a Travel Company
16:51 From Startup to Success: The Growth of the Business
19:01 Expanding Horizons: The Decision to Diversify Destinations
28:21 Navigating Challenges: Lessons Learned in Business Growth
30:27 Finding the Right Level of Specialism
31:41 Navigating the Impact of COVID-19
32:55 Growth Through Adversity 38:16 Restructuring and Seeking Investment
39:30 The Investment Journey Begins
42:59 Understanding Profitability in Travel
45:54 Creating a Compelling Investment Proposition
53:35 The Distressed Situation and New Opportunities
59:53 A New Chapter with Blanford Capital
01:03:05 Navigating the M&A Process
01:05:42 Key Takeaways from the Investment Journey
01:09:17 Building a Strong Team Culture
01:11:35 The Importance of Positive Impact
01:17:50 Sustaining a Successful Co-Founder Relationship
01:24:49 Future Plans and New Destinations
1:26:53 Advice for Aspiring Travel Entrepreneurs
