leonie spencer

What leonie spencer does

Lifestyle Travel Ballarat Pty Ltd is an Australian privately-held travel agency founded in 1985 and headquartered at 11 Armstrong Street North, Ballarat, Victoria. The firm is incorporated as a proprietary limited company (Lifestyle Travel Ballarat Pty Ltd) with no external private equity or venture backing indicated in the source material. Its core business is personalised travel advisory and booking, delivering tailor-made leisure itineraries, escorted boutique group tours, and cruise and tour packages for individual and couple travellers. Revenue is generated through three streams: non-refundable per-booking advisory and design fees (for example $250 per domestic booking and $500 per international booking), commissions and rebates from travel providers (airlines, tour operators, cruise lines, hotels), and credit card processing fees (1.4% Visa/Mastercard, 1.7% American Express).\n\nThe company's flagship technology asset is the My Trips mobile application (iOS/Android), an in-house developed travel companion that stores itineraries, flight tickets, hotel and car vouchers, theatre tickets, travel guides and provides live currency conversion plus in-app messaging with the assigned travel agent. The app was named a finalist in the 2024 National Travel Industry Awards (Innovation in Travel Support Services category) and is operated under a related Smart Trips developer entity that also offers the platform to other travel businesses on a white-label basis. The company is ATAS accredited, an AFTA member, a Virtuoso Member Agency, an Express Travel Group member, an Alatus premium independent agency, an exclusive Cruiseco member, and an Associate member of Helloworld Limited, providing access to preferred supplier rates, luxury hotel benefits, and limited cruise inventory.\n\nDistribution is primarily direct-to-consumer through a single Ballarat office, phone, email, and an Acuity-powered online booking widget, supplemented by content marketing via a team blog, The Monday Mail weekly newsletter, social channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), and the Lifestyle Chase virtual event series. The product portfolio spans the My Trips app, lifestyle boutique group tours (including the 2027 South Korea itinerary at $12,968 per person), the licensed Aussie Camino pilgrimage product, cruises and tours under Virtuoso and Cruiseco partnerships, business travel management in partnership with American Express Travel, and a gift/honeymoon registry service.

Name

leonie spencer

Legal name

Lifestyle Travel Ballarat Pty Ltd

Website

https://lifestyletravel.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Lifestyle Travel Ballarat is a privately-held Australian travel agency in Ballarat providing personalised leisure and corporate travel planning, escorted boutique group tours, cruise booking, and the award-winning My Trips mobile companion app for individual and couple travellers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Agency Services

NAICS

Travel Agencies (561510), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Bespoke Multi-Day Itinerary Planning & Custom Tour Design (THAJALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multi-Activity & Expedition Packages (Guided Adventure Trips) (THAJABAL), Sports & Active Travel Agencies (e.g., ski, golf, dive) (THAKAFAJ)

Keywords

• Tailor-made travel
• Boutique group tours
• Cruise bookings
• Travel agency services
• Leisure travel planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Ballarat

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Service Fees: Non-refundable advisory and booking service fees charged per booking and per person for research, design, ticketing, amendments, and cancellations.
2. Commissions and Rebates from Providers: Commissions, fees, rebates, gifts, or financial incentives received from travel providers (airlines, tour operators, cruise lines, hotels) in connection with bookings made on behalf of clients.
3. Credit Card Processing Fees: Visa/Mastercard 1.4% and American Express 1.7% fees charged on transactions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Lifestyle Travel Ballarat is a privately owned Australian travel agency that provides personalised tailor-made leisure and business travel planning, personally escorted boutique group tours, and cruise and tour booking services. The firm designs bespoke itineraries, handles ticketing and amendments, and supports clients in-trip through its proprietary My Trips mobile app. Revenue is generated through per-booking service fees and commissions received from travel providers such as airlines, tour operators, cruise lines, and hotels.

Product overview

Lifestyle Travel Ballarat, founded by Leonie Spencer, is a travel agency offering personalized travel planning services. The company's flagship technology product is the award-winning 'My Trips' app - a personalized electronic travel companion that stores itineraries, travel documents, and provides in-app messaging with travel agents. Beyond the app, the company provides a portfolio of travel services including personally escorted boutique group tours (such as South Korea 2027), tailor-made travel planning, cruise and tour packages through partnerships with Cruiseco and Virtuoso, the Aussie Camino pilgrimage tours, business travel management via American Express partnership, and gift/honeymoon registry services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• My Trips App: Award-winning mobile travel companion application that stores itineraries, travel documents, and provides currency conversion and destination guides
• Smart Trips
• Aussie Camino

Products and services

• Tailor-Made Travel Service Personalised travel planning service in which Lifestyle Travel's travel experts design bespoke holidays tailored to individual preferences, interests, and budgets, and handle ticketing, amendments, and in-trip support. Available to leisure and business travellers.
• Cruises & Tours Cruise and tour booking service providing access to ocean cruises, river cruises, and land-based tours through exclusive Cruiseco membership and partnerships with world-renowned operators including Viking, APT, AMA Waterways, Emerald Cruises, Uniworld, Collette, and Trails of Indochina.
• Aussie Camino Licensed 10-day, 160km guided pilgrimage tour from Portland in Victoria to Penola in South Australia, inspired by Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop. Private groups of 10+ can be arranged.
• South Korea 2027 Group Tour Personally escorted boutique group tour to South Korea departing April 2027, hosted by Maree McClelland, with 11 nights in South Korea timed for cherry blossom season, KTX bullet train from Busan to Seoul, and 3 nights in Singapore.
• Business Travel Management

Quantifiable outcome

• My Trips App was named a finalist in the 2024 National Travel Industry Awards (Innovation in Travel Support Services)

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Express Travel GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLifestyle Travel Ballarat is a member of Express Travel Group, an Australian network of independent travel agencies. This membership provides access to preferred supplier rates, industry conferences, networking opportunities, and exclusive deals.
• VirtuosocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVirtuoso is a leading global network of luxury travel agencies with over 2,200 member hotels and travel companies. Lifestyle Travel Ballarat operates as a Virtuoso Member Agency, providing clients with access to exclusive Virtuoso hotel offers, upgrades, and benefits.
• ATAS (Australian Travel Accreditation Scheme)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerATAS accreditation demonstrates compliance with industry standards for consumer protection and ethical business practice. AFTA (Australian Federation of Travel Agents) membership further demonstrates industry credibility.
• Helloworld LimitedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLifestyle Travel Ballarat is an Associate member of Helloworld Limited. As an associate member, the company collects and handles client personal information under Helloworld's privacy and data governance framework, and shares information with entities within the Helloworld group.
• Smart Trips (Smart Trips App)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmart Trips is the developer of the My Trips App. Leonie, Simon, and family attended the NTIA as the developers of Smart Trips. The app is white-labelled/customised for Lifestyle Travel and is also offered to other travel businesses via the Smart Trips website.
• CruisecocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCruiseco is an Australian cruise agency network. Lifestyle Travel is an exclusive Cruiseco member agency, providing clients with access to cruise ship sailings, limited inventory, and special offers.
• Uniworld Boutique River CruisesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLifestyle Travel team member Leonie Spencer participated in a Travel Trade & Media delegation hosted by Uniworld, and the team sells Uniworld India river cruise itineraries.
• AMA WaterwaysminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAMA Waterways is a river cruise operator featured in multiple team travel blogs (Amy and Carly). The team sells and personally experiences AMA Waterways river cruises in Europe.
• Emerald CruisesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEmerald Cruises is a river cruise operator whose itineraries (e.g., Rhine River) are sold by Lifestyle Travel Ballarat.
• APT (APT Tours)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAPT is an Australian tour company featured in team travel blogs. Renae participated in an APT group tour to Canada.
• Viking (Viking Cruises)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorViking is a river and ocean cruise line featured across multiple team travel blogs (Vietnam & Mekong, Great Lakes). Maree McClelland has hosted groups on Viking sailings.
• ColletteminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollette is a global tour operator. Sandi Jackson travelled on a Collette Shades of Ireland tour which Lifestyle Travel sells.
• American Express TravelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLifestyle Travel Ballarat partners with American Express Travel to service business and corporate travel management needs.
• Trails of Indochina TravelminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrails of Indochina Travel is the tour operator used for Maree's Vietnam group tour.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Travel Associates: Australian boutique travel agency network offering personalised, expert-led travel planning with a home-based advisor model. Closely comparable to Lifestyle Travel in its focus on bespoke leisure itineraries, premium supplier access, and dedicated consultant service.
• Helloworld Travel: Major Australian retail travel agency network of which Lifestyle Travel is itself an Associate member. Directly comparable in offering full-service leisure and corporate travel booking across a bricks-and-mortar footprint, with overlapping destination expertise and similar supplier partnerships.
• Express Travel Group: Australian consortium of independent travel agencies of which Lifestyle Travel is a member. Closely comparable business model: independent agencies aggregating purchasing power, sharing preferred supplier rates, and operating under a common brand-quality framework.
• By Prior Appointment: Australian luxury travel agency network specialising in high-net-worth leisure and bespoke itineraries. Comparable to Lifestyle Travel in premium positioning, Virtuoso-style exclusive access, and personalised service model.
• TravelManagers Australia: Australian personal travel manager model with a national network of home-based advisors supported by a central infrastructure. Comparable to Lifestyle Travel in personalised service delivery, supplier relationships, and tailored leisure itinerary focus.
• Luxury Escapes: Australia-founded online travel retailer specialising in curated luxury packages and member-only deals. Comparable in targeting affluent leisure travellers seeking curated experiences, though delivered via digital marketplace rather than consultant-led advisory.
• Abercrombie & Kent: Global luxury tour operator offering bespoke private journeys and small-group escorted tours with destination expertise across all seven continents. Comparable to Lifestyle Travel's bespoke itinerary design and escorted group tour offerings (e.g., South Korea 2027) at the premium end of leisure travel.
• Intrepid Travel: Australian-listed small-group adventure tour operator with global itineraries led by local guides. Comparable to Lifestyle Travel's escorted group tour activities and destination-led travel content, though skewed more toward adventure demographics.
• Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours: Australian-founded luxury river cruise and tour operator offering all-inclusive escorted itineraries. Comparable to Lifestyle Travel in cruise-selling activity and premium escorted tour design, though as an operator rather than an agency.

Broad incumbents

• Flight Centre Travel Group: Australia's largest listed travel retail group operating multiple brands across leisure, corporate, and wholesale channels. Comparable in core travel agency activity but materially broader in scale, geographic reach, and product mix than Lifestyle Travel's boutique model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9S5SuG6aAx0OTU9N1j1O4w/featured?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/LTBallarat
• Instagraminstagram.com/lifestyletravelballarat
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lifestyletravelballarat

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about leonie spencer