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In 1970, Bruce Hodge, a young up-and-coming economist from Sydney, Australia, took a year off to satisfy his wanderlust. “I wanted to see what the rest of the world looked like,” he says.

The trip proved pivotal, as Hodge so loved the idea of travel that he made a career of it that same year, by founding his own company, Goway Travel Ltd. in Toronto.

Today, still privately owned, Goway boasts revenues of more than $160 million, offices in major cities around the world and 250 employees.

Goway succeeded because it focused on developing a niche travel market, catering to the needs of serious long-haul world travellers of all ages, often to remote and exotic locations.

Hodge’s timing was opportune. In the early 1970s, worldwide travel received a shot in the arm when PanAm, then one of the larger commercial airlines, assembled a fleet of giant Boeing 747s. These larger planes made travel faster, easier and more affordable.

With Latin American tourism in its infancy, Hodge explored the vast South American continent, setting up mini-bus adventure tours across Columbia, Brazil, Chile and Peru.

Sometimes, the Canadian flag brought luck. “During the Falklands War, all British tour buses were banned from travel in Argentina, but we were a Canadian company and continued our tours,” Hodge recalls.

Through the next four decades, the international tourism industry grew, reaching $944 billion (U.S.) by 2008. Goway expanded its destination choices and maintained its high quality of service.

The company also kept abreast of emerging trends. When blockbuster movies of the 1980s, like Crocodile Dundee and Road Warrior, starring a young Mel Gibson, highlighted Hodge’s native Australia, Goway opened an office in Sydney, becoming a prime handler of travel between Australia and North America, and soon extended operations throughout the South Pacific and Asia.

Customer service has remained front and centre, with discounts for repeat customers. “We want our customers to come back for travel with us again and again,” Hodge says.

Goway rigorously trains its staff about destinations, cultures and climate. Its regional specialists give customers a sense of confidence and security as they travel long distances to unfamiliar places, such as Africa.

For a small firm, marketing is key to attracting new customers. Goway’s in-house design team issues a constant stream of brochures, magazines and advertising, featuring such alluring destinations as the ancient Chinese capital of Xian, Easter Island or Antarctica.

Goway can also arrange for extreme adventures, such as climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro or taking a river cruise along the Mekong River through Vietnam and Cambodia.

Along with the expansion of air travel, advancements in communication have helped the company. Goway has moved from booking tickets by telegram, telex or fax to toll-free phone lines, computers and the Internet.

“Without our technological innovation, we could not have co-ordinated and supplied our global teams and services,” Hodge says.

The company also associates itself with major events. For example, Goway is an official agent for the Rugby World Cup, which will be held in New Zealand in 2011. In addition to tickets, Goway can arrange travel, accommodations and tours.

As Goway celebrates its 40th anniversary, Hodge’s love affair with travel is still what drives him. “I run my own company. I’m my own boss. I enjoy making things work. And I still get to travel.”