Conservation Tourism

Forward Travel is an Australian-owned tour operator specialising in off-the-beaten-path destinations. Their itineraries are designed for travellers who’ve ticked off the major landmarks and are ready for something different — experiences that are immersive, culturally rich, and often far from the tourist trail.

Catering primarily to seasoned, well-travelled Australians, Forward Travel focuses on journeys that go deeper than guidebook highlights, often into regions most tour companies won’t touch.

Forward Travel’s trips focus on cultural depth, genuine connection, and experiences that go far beyond surface-level sightseeing. A core part of their philosophy is ethical travel — giving back to the destinations visited, not simply consuming them.

While they had long been committed to ethical and sustainable travel, the wider public didn’t yet associate the brand with ‘conservation tourism.’

The goals for this campaign were to:

• Build brand awareness in mainstream Australian travel media
• Generate authoritative backlinks
• Position founder David Smyth as an expert commentator on wildlife conservation travel

The challenge was twofold:

1. Cutting through mainstream travel news, where stories tend to centre on mainstream destinations.
2. Educating the public on conservation tourism — a concept many travellers had never heard of, despite its rising global significance.

The campaign needed to both inform and inspire this demographic while establishing Forward Travel as a leader in this space.

We created a feature-style digital PR campaign titled “Beyond the Safari: The Rise of Conservation Tourism,” positioning conservation travel as the natural evolution of wildlife tourism.

Instead of the usual “see and snap” approach, we highlighted hands-on conservation experiences such as gorilla habituation in Uganda, rhino tagging in Zimbabwe, leopard and pangolin tracking in Namibia, turtle releases in Ecuador and Costa Rica, and penguin care in Antarctica and South Africa.

The goal was to show that travellers are moving toward experiences that feel purposeful, ethical, and connected to real conservation outcomes. This narrative aligned perfectly with Forward Travel’s philosophy of giving back to destinations rather than simply taking from them.

Once the piece was finalised, we carried out targeted digital PR outreach to mainstream travel publications, over-55s media, and national news outlets, aiming to position David as an expert commentator on the subject, while creating opportunities to mention Forward Travel’s upcoming conservation-focused tours.

The campaign drove strong editorial interest from Australia’s top-tier travel publications and firmly established Forward Travel as a credible voice in conservation-led tourism. Here’s how:

Media Wins

We secured 5 major media placements, including news.com.au, The Australian, Travel Bulletin, Travel Talk, and 9Travel. These outlets — covering over a million Australian readers — have sparked the conversation on ethical tourism.

Growing David Smyth’s public profile

The PR piece opened new doors for David as a commentator on ethical travel. Notably:

• Mainstream journalists began reaching out for follow-up commentary
• He broke into outlets Forward Travel had never reached before
• He gained exposure in publications that speak directly to his audience of mature, values-driven travellers

The campaign created a foundation for long-term thought leadership.

Brand Visibility & Backlinks

Each article included references — and backlinks where possible — to Forward Travel’s conservation-focused offerings.

This strengthened:

• SEO visibility
• Brand credibility
• Awareness of upcoming wildlife conservation tours

For a niche travel operator, these placements represented a significant reputational lift.

Shaping the sustainability narrative

Forward Travel shifted from being one of many operators selling wildlife trips to standing out as a brand that:

• Educates the public on the impact of tourism
• Advocates for local ecosystems
• Positions conservation as the future of responsible travel