TORONTO — Busabout hosted a fun trivia evening in Toronto last night, during which the company shared news of exciting developments with its travel agent partners. According to Busabout, agents are largely responsible for an 80% increase in bookings for 2018, a year that will include new itineraries, price reductions and FAM incentives.

Even more exciting was news that the company will soon offer USA product for the first time starting in 2019, which will complement its existing Europe and Asia offerings.

Busabout offers clients complete autonomy on their trip, allowing them to do Europe their way, with a unique hop-on, hop-off network that links up 47 European destinations across 15 countries. A similar Busabout system also exists in South East Asia aimed at independent travellers who want the ultimate in flexibility, freedom and value. They then have the ability to decide where to visit and for how long, creating their own adventure.

Canadian bookings for 2018 departures are up 80%, while overall sales are up 103%, undoubtedly due to the hard work of regional team members Damien Bennett, Vice-President of Sales in North America, and Adam Bubowsky, National Sales Manager.

“Agents don’t have a massive amount of products they can use for FIT. We are a great option because we allow all the flexibility of FIT, but you also get the social, guided and safety elements of more traditional tours, so we really are the best of both worlds,” says Bubowsky. “We really try to get agents to focus on the value that Busabout can add for their clients.”

Busabout has some serious savings to consider for 2018 travel, with many price reductions announced. For example, the two-week pass for Europe is down 8% in price, while the one-month pass is down 20%. Also on offer for Asia is the Unlimited Pass, where for $5,999 clients can travel once on all Busabout Asia trips within a three-month period. Finally, the Early Booking Deals booking incentive has been extended until the end of January where an additional 15% savings in possible.

To incentivize agents, Busabout is offering a spot on the All-Star Greece FAM with all expenses paid, including flights. The trip will include both a mainland itinerary as well as island hopping. The top two selling agents from the region will be invited, plus another three wildcards.

“We don’t hold anything back on this FAM and it is a ton of fun,” says Bennett. “The agents love it because it’s a multi-region FAM, so it’s not just Canadians with Canadians, but you get to experience the Busabout product, the Busabout way, which is with people from all over the world having a good time.”

The company recently announced that it will be entering the USA market in 2019, offering a similar hop-on-hop-off bus network for independent travellers who are looking for flexibility. No details on destinations, routes or pricing have been announced at this time.

“85% of our product operates in Europe, which is where we started, then South East Asia, and now we are planning to move into the U.S. in 2019,” says Bennett. “This will be a brand new destination for us, and again this is market driven. We have customers who have done Europe then Asia, they love the product, love the brand, love the way we operate, and they are looking for more so we are expanding our destinations.”

New winter ski itineraries will also be on offer for the 2018-19 ski season.

Other highlights from the new 2018-19 program include:

• NEW 2-day Croatian Adventure: A much sought-after itinerary with travellers, this trip visits the iconic Plitvice National Park and its spectacular waterfalls, as well as Krka National Park where visitors are able to swim amongst the waterfalls. As these magnificent sites are difficult to visit independently, Busabout takes out all the hassle.
• NEW Ultimate Eastern Adventure (+ Eastern Highlights and Eastern Trail): This incredible 15-day itinerary explores not only the highlights of Eastern Europe, but some truly off-the-beaten-path gems across Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia.
• NEW Ski Festivals – Above & Below Ski Adventure and Rise Festival: For the 2018/19 winter season, Busabout is offering the ultimate freestyle Winter Adventures – passengers can ski down the pristine slopes of the French Alps, party in mountain bars and check out those incredible views.
• NEW Hop-On Hop-Off destinations: Bologna, Austrian Alps, Zakopane, Evora, Santiago de Compostela; now featuring 47 destinations in 15 countries across Europe.
• 5-day Southern Thailand Adventure – Embrace the heat, swim in jungle rivers and explore the everchanging culture and landscapes of Thailand. Busabout guests will stay on floating riverside bungalows, visit a sustainable elephant sanctuary, explore Bangkok’s off-the-beaten track sights such as Chinatown, discover the incredible Wat Arun and Wat Pho temples and spend lazy days on the beach.
• 6-day Southern Vietnam Adventure – Gain insight into the daily life of this previously war-torn country. Now including an overnight train from Hoi An to Nha Trang, meaning Busabout travellers gain a whole extra day in Hoi An, making sure there is enough time to enjoy this amazing UNESCO town and all the intoxicating street food it has to offer.
• 10-day Thai Island Hopper – Gorging on curries, dancing until dawn and chilling out on amazing beaches, travellers should be ready for the perfect balance of party and relaxation. This year, Busabout has built in twin-share accommodation into this island-hopping trip, with the option to upgrade to hotel and resort stays. Not only that, they are taking travellers to islands with fewer crowds, visiting the next big thing in the Thai Islands, the hidden gem, Koh Lanta.
• 24-day Vietnam and Cambodia Adventure – Ready to fall in love with traditions, tastes and temples? In 2018 guests will gain two extra nights in Phnom Penh before they move onto a countryside bike tour in Battambang, visiting several local homes throughout the Cambodian village to learn about the livelihoods of the community.

For more information, visit busabout.com.