Music tourism specialist Mike Bayon, the man behind the Ibiza Rocks travel and hotels brand, is launching a full-service package travel operation for music festivals and events.
Sound Travel plans to become a specialist for overseas travel to music festivals, concerts and gigs.
It will work with promoters and event organisers to monetise their events through the sale of travel arrangements, including flights, in addition to the event ticket.
Bayon said the modular technology behind the start-up venture, developed in conjunction with InspireTec, the Cardiff-based travel technology firm, was what would differentiate his business.
“The actual festival or concert ticket will be the entry point, but then flights, accommodation, transfers and extras can be added based on each customer’s needs, even if travelling in a group.”
Sound Travel has joined The Travel Network Group and will sell packages under its own Atol.
Bayon said: “In the music industry, live performance is the main revenue driver for artists and DJs. The music fuels the demand for tickets and as this grows so does the appetite for travel as fans follow their idols and enjoy a holiday around the event.
“Traditional cheap, booze-filled youth package holidays as we know them are dead. Festival travel is the new youth holiday, together with the rise of destination hotels with live music and major headline artists playing in the hotels themselves.”
Around 3.7 million people attended a music festival in the UK in 2015, while 767,000 travelled overseas to a festival in the sun, according to Bayon. He added that 40% of UK adults had attended a music event in the past 12 months, and the average 22-year-old went to four live music events a year, two of which were overseas.
Sound Travel has secured its first contract, with Ibiza-based daytime party brand Ocean Beach, and is in discussion with other event organisers.