Welcome to the new and improved Forward Travel website. We're currently putting the finishing touches on the site, so you may notice that some features or pages are still being updated or are temporarily unavailable. We appreciate your patience as we complete the final stages of development. If you notice any issues while browsing the website, we'd greatly appreciate you letting us know so we can address them as quickly as possible. To report an issue, please contact us on +61 401 812 219 or drop us a message at thekitchen@forwardtravel.com.au. Thank you for helping us make the Forward Travel experience even better. Get in Touch
Forward Travel
Tailor-Made Itineraries
Forward Travel is a boutique travel concierge that empowers discerning explorers to experience the world on their own terms, at their own pace. We strip away the rigid, mass-market constraints of traditional tourism to design immersive, tailor-made journeys and limited-edition small group tours. By combining our elite operational expertise with an intimate, emotional understanding of your personal goals, we transform your highest travel aspirations into a flawless, life-enriching reality.
Is Forward Travel the right fit for your travel aspirations? Understand exactly how a boutique travel concierge differs from traditional roles in the travel sector before deciding.
| Industry Job Title | Core Operational Focus | Client Relationship Style | Primary Operational Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boutique Travel Concierge (Forward Travel) | End-to-End Personal Service. Manages complex multi-destination logistics, private internal transfers, and grants rare local access based on authentic field experience. | Intimate & Relational. Long-term partnerships built on a profound understanding of your goals, preferred pacing, dietary needs, and travel style. | 100% Client-Centric. Dedicated to maximising your individual freedom, security, and comfort at every step of the journey. |
| Travel Agency | Transactional Booking. Coordinates standard commercial flights, mass-market holiday packages, and large-scale hotel blocks using reservation software. | Volume & Transactional. Interactions are typically confined to an immediate booking window or specific invoicing cycle. | Supplier Alignment. Highly influenced by preferred commercial supplier chains, volume quotas, and standardised itineraries. |
| Tour Operator |
Our philosophy
We believe travel should be seamless, purposeful, and uncompromised. By handles every complex logistical variable, from private internal charter flights to premium boutique lodging, we eliminate travel friction so you can focus entirely on absorbing the magic of your surroundings.
We steer you far beyond the boundaries of standard travel guides to uncover the world’s most remote, hard-to-reach places. Whether navigating equatorial river corridors or tracking rare wildlife across open savannahs, we grant you access to hidden gems that are nearly impossible to reach on your own.
We continuously innovate, designing pioneering itineraries that challenge, inspire, and evolve with the changing global landscape. We encourage a forward-thinking spirit of discovery, prompting you to embrace the unknown and build a profound, lifelong connection with the cultures and environments you cross.
Since boarding my first international flight at just eight years old, travel has never been a pastime, it’s been the defining thread of my life. What began as curiosity quickly evolved into something far deeper: a relentless drive to explore, to understand, and to immerse myself in the world in its rawest and most authentic forms. There has never been a moment of looking back, only a continual push forward to the next horizon.
Born in Ireland, my early years were shaped by extensive journeys across Europe, where history, culture, and landscape became my first teachers. That foundation soon gave way to a far broader canvas, as I ventured beyond the continent and ultimately made the journey to Australia, a country whose vastness and spirit of adventure mirrored my own.
Today, I bring not only passion, but depth of experience. Having travelled to more than 100 countries, my understanding of the world is grounded not in fleeting visits, but in meaningful, often challenging journeys. From the chaos and colour of India to the high-altitude trails of Nepal, from the untamed wilderness of Greenland and the Arctic to the stark, humbling beauty of Antarctica, each destination has shaped my perspective and sharpened my ability to craft truly transformative travel experiences.
I’ve always been drawn to the edges, the places that demand more, reveal more, and stay with you long after you return. Kayaking alongside whales in the icy waters of Greenland, navigating remote 4WD tracks through the Australian outback, trekking deep into the Himalayas, photographing vast wildlife colonies on South Georgia Island, summiting volcanoes in Ecuador, and crossing India by rail. These are not just highlights but defining moments. They reflect a travel philosophy rooted in immersion, resilience, and a willingness to embrace the unknown.
This is the ethos behind Forward Travel, the company I founded. It was created not simply as a travel concierge, but as a platform to deliver thoughtful, profoundly memorable journeys, experiences that endure, challenge, and inspire long after the journey ends.
Perhaps you already know what you want to see and do, perhaps you don’t. We will help you bring your social media feed to reality.
Mass Deployment. Executes fixed-schedule itineraries using corporate assets like large tour buses, cruise ships, or preset resort routes. |
Impersonal Collective. Treats travellers as a shared group headcount bound to a rigid, unyielding daily timetable. |
Asset Optimization. Driven entirely by maximising seat capacity, filling large hotel allocations, and adhering to strict schedules. |
Your travel consultant
David Smyth
Director, Forward Travel
Sample only