Companies

After revitalizing Adventure and Volcanoes, Les Compagnies du Voyage continues its development with the revival of Terra Incognita.

Jean-Christophe Guérin, the group’s President, already knew Terra Incognita from its original history.

The brand had been created at the end of the 1990s within the Atalante universe, then put to sleep in 2010. Guérin learns at the end of 2025 that it was still owned by the original group.

« If you do nothing with it, I’m interested. I’d be willing to take it back. I might have a project », he says.

Without a clearly defined idea at the outset, the conflict in the Middle East that erupted in late February accelerates its implementation. With an objective: to fidéliser the clientele on other types of travel.

<img src=”https://www.tourmag.com/my/tourmag/site/version2020/regie-video/pixel.png” width=”1″ height=”1″ style=”border:0px” id=”debloquage_article_abonnement”>With Vie Sauvage, a specialist in nature and wildlife travel, Fika Voyages for walking, cycling and train journeys, and Aventure et Volcans around the discovery of volcanoes, the group already had a strong positioning in adventure and discovery travel.

However, to keep this clientele engaged, Jean-Christophe Guérin needed a new string to his bow: « For the last two years, we have noticed that the people who travel with us and are very satisfied do not necessarily want their next project to be a nature trip. For many, it’s more of a cultural journey » he explains.

« Terra Incognita takes a place somewhat in mirror of what Vie Sauvage does in tailor-made fashion, in a more cultural dimension », the leader continues.

This cultural dimension, Les Compagnies du Voyage want to develop through discoveries, but also through experiences.

The brand will thus be able to offer a meeting with an artisan who exceptionally hosts travelers, a dinner at private homes sharing a passion, an immersion in an artistic universe or access to experiences that are hard to find in traditional tourist circuits.

« Each of us has our own Terra Incognita, he emphasizes. « Because we do bespoke travel, we want to start from what the client shares with us, from their desires and imagination, to then build the itinerary. This is how we want to launch the project. »

Some experiences may be offered only once or twice a year, depending on the availability of people or the events involved.

Terra Incognita could also construct trips around festivals or events with a cultural, artistic or religious dimension. Small-group departures are also contemplated when the experience itself justifies sharing the journey with other participants or with an expert.

These collective departures should however remain minority, around 5 to 10% of the offer. Around fifteen destinations should form the initial base of the offering, with a presence in Europe, in Asia, in India and in Oceania. But the principle is to be able to respond to a much broader demand.

« This can also be in France. » adds the leader. The tour operator intends to rely on the know-how of the current teams: « 50% of the employees have knowledge that goes beyond the scope of the current brands. »

The group will also rely on independent consultants and specialists capable of intervening on specific topics.

The full Terra Incognita site is set to launch in the autumn. In the meantime, the brand is already developing its universe around a dream box, designed as an entryway to travel.

In some cases, Terra Incognita may even push the element of surprise further, letting the traveler discover their program progressively, or even at departure.

« We take the brief and let them discover their trip, either at the airport, or day by day, as it unfolds », describes Jean-Christophe Guérin.

An approach that echoes the notion of a journey into unknown land…