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Our Story

From a Bold Idea

In 2016, Caroline Strachan and Paul Tilstone, bringing together over 55 years of combined experience in the corporate travel and expense industry, came together with a shared mission to challenge outdated models in travel and expense management. Their mission was clear: to create better travel and meetings solutions. Festive Road was launched.

The name Festive Road was inspired by British animation, Mr. Benn. Mr Benn lived on ‘Festive Road’ and would embark on adventures by entering a costume shop, putting on a suit and stepping into new worlds. He would always return with a souvenir of his trip. This is just what we do! We enter our clients’ worlds, become immersed in their culture and each client journey strengthens our expertise. Our souvenirs are the nuggets of information, the experiences and importantly, the fun we have along the way, all of which allows us to bring more value to the next client.

What started as a bold idea soon became a trusted name in the industry, supporting global clients with expert consulting and outsourcing services that drive smarter travel, and expense management decisions.

To New Beginnings

Growth brings change, and after eight impactful years, Paul and Caroline chose to take different paths. In early 2024, the supplier work was divested into a new and wholly separate company led by Paul. Caroline, as sole shareholder and CEO, continues to lead Festive Road with a laser sharp focus on serving corporate travel and expense buyers exclusively. We are wholly independent and take no supplier revenues.
This evolution renewed and reinvigorated Festive Road’s purpose and strengthened our ability to drive meaningful change. Powered by a global hive mind of expert Roaders (our people do what they love, and love what they do) we stay agile, competitive, and closely aligned with client needs. We have nailed the concept of global, virtual working and our culture isn’t just an employee value proposition; we live and breathe it!

Festive Road’s unique approach hasn’t gone unnoticed. Multiple industry awards and a client NPS of 70+ reflect the trust placed in us by the buyer community. In November 2024, we proudly achieved WeConnect International certification – a mark of our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and doing business differently.

Driven by Purpose

We’re building on our bold beginnings with the same clear purpose: to Create Better travel and expense management for corporate buyers.

We are trusted, curious experts who deliver results. From strategy development and sourcing to implementation, and flexible outsourcing — our holistic approach always centres on what matters most: your evolving needs.

With the combined expertise of our global team of talent, spanning consulting, operations, and cutting-edge tech, we don’t just solve today’s challenges; we help unlock the art of the possible. Together, we drive meaningful change, deliver results, and shape what’s next for you and your business.

Better Begins Here

As we look ahead, our focus is clear: to keep shaping the future of travel and expense management.

Guided by our bold vision, we’ll continue listening, innovating, adapting, and collaborating closely with our clients, navigating the adventurous, road ‘less-travelled’ ahead, together.

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Better Begins Here
for Travel and Expense