Goway Unveils New Branding and Names Sean Hebert as VP of the Americas – TravelPress

On the evening of October 3, Goway welcomed travel industry professionals to unveil what it calls “the new Goway.”

Hosted on the rooftop of the TIFF Lightbox on King St. W., guests enjoyed an engaging evening filled with live music, watercolor painting demonstrations, and great conversations as the Goway team shared exciting updates following their recent rebranding. This included a revamped website, a new logo and color scheme, and enhanced resources for travel advisors.

“Our core values—our people, innovation, trust, outstanding service, and family-oriented principles—will always define Goway and guide our future,” shared Bronwyn Hodge, General Manager of Goway.

Established in 1970, Goway’s initial reservations were sent via telegram. “For those old enough to remember, it was costly to send telegrams by word, so we developed a unique code with our operators to communicate,” recalled Bruce Hodge, founder and president. “Fast forward to today, and our current reservations system has taken five years to develop, allowing us to efficiently handle complex FIT travel, which is our specialty for discerning globetrotters.”

Now celebrating its 54th year, Bruce Hodge noted that the rebranding of Goway addresses the evolving demands of the B2B landscape, including the integration of new technologies like AI to enhance customer satisfaction.

“I truly envision Goway as a future-oriented company; I may not be here to witness it, but I believe in the future of the travel industry,” Bruce Hodge stated.

With over 600 employees worldwide, the event coincided with the announcement of a new addition to the team. Sean Hebert has joined Goway as the Vice President of the Americas, a role he officially commenced on September 30. “The creation of the VP Americas role represents a significant investment in this division,” expressed Mitchell Fawcett, Vice President of Marketing at Goway. “We are thrilled to welcome Sean aboard.”

A Fresh Look

Despite a new logo and website, Goway remains committed to its foundational ethos: providing tailor-made travel experiences across 115 countries and on all seven continents, emphasizing four and five-star accommodations, as well as guided tours.

Adorning a new color aptly named “Aussie Terra,” Goway’s branding now reflects the distinctive sandy red tones of the Outback that inspired its origins.

“The new logo is integral to our identity today,” Fawcett commented. “Kudos to Bruce, who originally designed our brand’s look and feel in 1976. He was the first to establish the identity we’ve carried for 54 years. Reinventing that takes tremendous vision and courage.”

In June 2024, Goway launched an entirely new website, a significant achievement aimed at creating a “best-in-class site” that connects the travel community with the extensive range of products we offer, infused with inspiring stories.

Currently, Goway boasts over 1,000 trips to 115 global destinations and is actively exploring several new innovations.

The first of these, Odysseys by Goway, introduces a new product line featuring 14 unique global tours, emphasizing small group experiences and longer stays for more immersive travel. Additionally, the company has launched 14 new itineraries in the Nordics, along with new travel routes in India, Vietnam, and Papua New Guinea.

A wellness product line is also on the horizon, aimed at fulfilling the growing consumer interest in wellness travel, which Goway plans to address uniquely, according to Fawcett.

The Importance of Travel Advisors

Responding to insights from the travel advisor community, Goway has significantly invested in three key areas:

Technology

• Goway has launched a new reservations system that streamlines the booking and payment processes online.
• A dedicated travel advisor portal, Gowaypro.com, provides advisors with access to marketing materials, educational resources, and incentives.

Education

• A newly appointed training manager, known as Professor Goway, has created a series of video-based training modules for advisors covering various destinations.
• The Goway training academy platform features over 60 countries with 600 training modules, averaging about 10 minutes each, and currently has 7,000 enrolled travel advisors.
• Biweekly podcasts are also released, focusing on selling strategies.

Additional Incentives

• New pre-FAM program: advisors can earn a complimentary FAM trip by selling five of the seven regions in Goway’s portfolio within a year.
• Pre-rewards program: advisors can receive a digital visa or Mastercard and earn cash rewards for each booking made with Goway.
• The GroupsOnly division has expanded its team to 42 members, becoming one of the largest groups divisions in North America, and is on track to manage 600 groups this year.

Upcoming for 2025

In 2025, Goway plans to introduce a specialized travel advisor portal designed to enhance collaboration, allowing advisors to manage transactions, process payments, monitor loyalty rewards, and organize client documentation effortlessly.

Goway is also setting up a new framework for NDCs, emphasizing that travelers deserve choices in their airfare shopping experience, as stated by Scott Roseblade, VP of Air. More details about this platform will be shared with the public soon.

A new section on GowayAir.com has also been announced.

Goway is also committed to improving customer service levels to ensure clients enjoy seamless holidays. “Our goal is to establish clear service level commitments that enhance the customer experience going into 2025,” Roseblade commented.

Celebrating 55 Years

In 2025, Goway will celebrate its 55th anniversary. To commemorate this milestone, the company is planning a series of events, including 10 roadshows across various cities in the U.S. and Canada. Familiarization (FAM) trips will also play a significant role, with Goway promising a minimum of five trips to “extraordinary destinations.”

Additionally, Goway is initiating the Goway Micro Film Festival, a year-long marketing project inviting travelers to submit 55-second travel films for screening events in cities such as L.A., Toronto, and New York City.

For more information about Goway and to explore the “new” branding, please visit www.goway.com.