Interview – Words from the Pros – Eric Baetens, founder of Eric & The Trip
Eric Baetens is the founder of Eric & The Trip, an independent tailor-made travel agency based in Haute-Savoie.
After 25 years of career within the Danone group, mainly in the Waters division (Evian), he chose to put his industrial expertise, his culture of service and his passion for travel at the service of an entrepreneurial project aligned with his convictions.
Trained as an engineer, he has progressed through key roles in supply chain, quality, IT and project management, in demanding international contexts, particularly in the Japanese market.
An experienced traveler (more than 60 countries visited), he now designs tailor-made itineraries for individual clients seeking meaning, reliability and human connection, far from standardized offers and the all-digital approach.
Registered with Atout France, member of ATR, Travelife certified and committed to 1% for the Planet, Eric & The Trip is part of a sincere approach to responsible tourism, based on trust, personalisation and consistency of choices.
From an industrial career to travel entrepreneurship
Infostourisme.com: After a successful career at Danone, you chose to create your own travel agency. What triggered this change of direction?
Eric Baetens: On the cusp of fifty, one inevitably asks oneself the question: to continue quietly for a few more years on the same well-trodden professional path or to dare, according to the often overused expression, "to make one's passion one's profession", in my case travel and its organization.
I made the conscious decision to have no regrets and to embark on a second professional life as an entrepreneur in a sector where I had everything to learn. And for the past 10 years, I have never regretted that choice: it's never too late!
“First life” skills
Infostourisme.com: From the industrial world to the world of travel, your career path is unique. What skills from your "first life" are useful to you today in your work?
Eric Baetens: My engineering training first and foremost: rigor, a taste for numbers, curiosity, a desire to analyze and understand…
From my varied career at Danone, the sense of customer service that I had notably grasped during a position at the heart of the Japanese market; quality first and everywhere.
I have extensive experience in supply chain professions: planning is therefore second nature to me, and I am familiar with the uncertainties related to execution, particularly in transport, and the management of stress sometimes associated with it!
The other skills necessary for my business (sales, marketing, etc.) I acquired as it developed: when you are passionate and want to move forward, you gradually add new building blocks, you are constantly learning…
The Philosophy of Eric & The Trip
Infostourisme.com: What is the philosophy of Eric & The Trip? What makes your approach to tailor-made travel different from that of a traditional agency?
Eric Baetens: Freedom and independence!
I am completely free in choosing my partners (especially destination DMCs), but also in choosing the trips and activities I offer, at the risk of sometimes refusing requests if they do not correspond to my vision of travel.
Making it tailor-made does not mean accepting all requests: for example I refuse to sell long-haul trips of less than a week (for "carbon" reasons), I exclude activities that seem aberrant to me from an environmental point of view, and I make it a point to explain the reasons each time to my travelers.
Even though my clients are mostly upper-middle class, I am not positioned as "luxury" because it is not aligned with my way of traveling, especially for families who make up the core of my clientele.
I have clients who are similar to me, and therefore it is much easier to understand their travel desires, whether expressed or not.
The result of aligning "me" – the trips I offer – with my travelers is that, of the 60 trips organized annually, half are repeat bookings, and the other half are the result of leads acquired through networking and referrals ("birds of a feather flock together"). Therefore, there are no acquisition costs and a maximized conversion rate, which is key in tailor-made travel.
Proximity, high standards, and human connection
Infostourisme.com: You emphasize personalization and human connection. How do you manage to reconcile proximity, high standards, and the management of an often demanding clientele?
Eric Baetens: Putting the customer at the center ("more than a journey, yours") is obvious to me and not just a slogan.
Just because we don't have a physical agency doesn't mean we can't be close to our customers: being very responsive, available almost 24/7 (including during the trip), communicating with all possible tools while adapting to the customer's wishes (WhatsApp, video, etc.), being the traveler's single point of contact all contribute greatly to this.
I have clients who travel, including Belgians and Swiss, we have never met, but I am somewhat part of their family through the successive trips we have organized together.
And during the trip, when I am not reachable and/or as a supplement, it is essential to put in place concierge tools that allow the traveler to never feel isolated: the famous reassurance is essential in our sector, especially in tailor-made travel which can sometimes be quite complex.
Maintaining contact and building loyalty after the trip is also key: 90% of my travelers return the questionnaire I send them upon their return. I also send (sparingly!) an ericandthetrip newsletter to all past and prospective clients, with an open rate of around 70%, which demonstrates their continued engagement and helps maintain the relationship.
Responsible tourism: concrete commitments
Infostourisme.com: You are involved in initiatives such as ATR, Travelife and 1% for the Planet. What does this mean in concrete terms in your approach to travel?
Eric Baetens: I quickly realized that organizing and selling trips wasn't enough for me. This realization came particularly during Covid, when I had the opportunity to be one of the founding members of the association "Respire, le Tourisme de demain" created by Fabio Casilli.
I wanted to make progress on the topic of responsible tourism and therefore joined the ATR association. As part of this, I embarked on a certification process, primarily to have a diagnostic tool for my business, explore areas for improvement and measure progress.
A significant milestone was obtaining the Travelife "certified" label (the highest level), a certification renewed a few months ago. This requires a considerable investment, especially for a solopreneur. For the past three years, Juliette Ory has supported me and managed all CSR matters.
In concrete terms, we measure the carbon footprint of all trips sold, but it is mainly through partnerships with local service providers (DMCs) that actions materialize.
Eric & The Trip is also a member of 1% for the Planet: I dedicate 1% of my turnover (not my margin) to environmental projects, as part of the fund launched by ATR with 1% for the Planet.
Tailor-made travel in the face of industry changes
Infostourisme.com: How do you perceive the evolution of tailor-made travel in France? Have travelers changed since you started?
Eric Baetens: Yes, of course. The offering has become plethora of options and more accessible via social media. Travel planners have emerged, and now AI is invading the world of travel.
But there are some constants: preparing a tailor-made trip takes time, and many travelers don't have it.
Execution is always complex, and unforeseen events (often linked to air transport but increasingly to the consequences of climate change) require intermediaries and a trusted partner. Ultimately, the key is trust.
The importance of professional collectives
Infostourisme.com: You are a member of the “Club des Créateurs de Voyage (CCV)” collective. What does this type of network offer an independent entrepreneur?
Eric Baetens: It is obviously crucial when you are almost alone and starting from scratch in a sector you do not come from.
The Travel Creators Club is a collective of partner agencies that specialize exclusively in tailor-made travel. We share best practices, participate in trade shows together, and conduct our own familiarization trips.
We launched a podcast, The Sound of Travel (60 episodes!) , and a website , The Professionals of Tailor-Made Travel, allowing travelers to book a workshop leading or not to a trip, an innovative way of addressing the subject of paid quotes.
Trends and inspiring destinations
Infostourisme.com: As a field expert, which destinations or trends particularly inspire you at the moment?
Eric Baetens: The current trends are well known: hyper-personalization, slow tourism, low-carbon travel.
However, travelers often face significant constraints: limited travel time, budget, and the complexity of train travel compared to air travel. It is up to professionals to guide travelers in this direction.
Regarding destinations, one must be agile as trends evolve rapidly, for political, fashion or climatic reasons.
Heading towards 2026
Infostourisme.com: What are your plans or ambitions for Eric & The Trip in 2026?
Eric Baetens: I do not have the desire to grow or double my turnover, but rather to stabilize my turnover and profitability.
This will allow me to improve the quality of the trips offered and to continue to donate 1% of my turnover to 1% for the Planet.
I would also like to reduce the carbon footprint of my business, even if that means changing the mix of destinations.
A vision of travel
Infostourisme.com: If you had to summarize your vision of travel in one sentence, what would it be?
Eric Baetens: “You know, I don’t believe there are good or bad trips… I believe there are encounters, and that orchestrating them with precision, tailoring, and awareness is already traveling differently.” (Thank you, Edouard Baer!)
The role of B2B media
Infostourisme.com: What is your view on the role of a media outlet like InfosTourisme.com in promoting initiatives in the sector?
Eric Baetens: The specialized press is essential to the sector. Since the creation of Eric & The Trip, I have always dedicated time daily to a press review.
Understanding the sector, staying abreast of developments, initiatives, and innovations requires multiple media outlets, each with different perspectives and viewpoints. So, welcome.
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