Looking back and looking ahead with Epic’s Founder Charlie Shepherd

Next year marks 20 years of Epic, so we sat down with founder Charlie Shepherd to look back at the journey – from where it started (with a man on his bike and a passion for the outdoors), through to his predictions for the world of travel in 2025.

From doubling down on being human in a world of AI, to finding un-Googlable experiences, and launching a whole new destination in the new year, here is what’s going through the mind of Epic’s founder.

Reflecting on the past year

What was the greatest achievement for Epic in the past year?

“The refinement of our concierge service,” says founder Charlie Shepherd. “It’s the service that sets us apart from others in our field. 

“It really is about us doubling down on the human side of our work, especially in the face of huge growth in AI. At a certain level, people will always need to be looked after by people.

“It was also our biggest year in terms of total booking value of travellers in 2024. This was a terrific achievement after two excellent years and following the biggest crisis of our generation.”

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced this year?

“It is always the same central challenge when running a service business – how can we retain a high level of quality on an ever-increasing scale,” says Charlie. 

“Our dedicated concierge service has helped with this, as well improvements we have made in working smarter through better internal organisation and tech tools.” 

Read next… Travel for good: Why every Epic trip makes a difference

Adventure travel has always been a core part of Epic’s brand. How has that influenced Epic’s luxury offering?

“Adventure and luxury coexist beautifully, in my opinion!” he says. 

“It’s really a question of how you define luxury – and although gold taps might have their place from time to time – discerning people these days are looking more for the luxury of peace, solitude, uniqueness, connection. 

“For instance, if we set up a beautiful camp with great food, top hospitality and superb nature it’s both hugely appreciated by customers and it helps us to really add value to the guest experience. Everyone’s a winner.” 

How has Epic evolved in terms of offerings and approach over the years?

“When I started (the then) Epic Morocco in 2005, it really was just a man with his bike, a passion for the outdoors and a bunch of exciting discoveries that he wanted to share with the world,” Charlie says. 

“Although the spirit remains nearly 20 years later, we’ve evolved. There have been a few versions of us along the way! But really the main shift was from group travel to a highly customised private travel model for couples, families, and private gatherings. 

“We’ve become very adept at understanding diverse requirements, (co)-creating trips and making it happen on the ground. All this is thanks to our incredible team and their ideas and energy.”

What trends have you seen this year in terms of traveler preferences?

“I would say that we’ve seen a higher level of customisation. A lot of co-creation (building trips hand-in-hand with customers) and essentially we’ve had to become more and more creative to keep up with shifts in preferences for unique and un-Googleable experiences.

“I would imagine this is likely to continue into 2025 and beyond.” 

Looking ahead into 2025 and beyond

What do you anticipate will be the biggest travel trends or shifts in the industry in the coming year?

“I think we’ll see more and more polarisation between machine-planned and people-planned trips,” says Charlie. “I know this might be a controversial statement as there are many trying to “bridge the gap” with hybrid solutions. We are yet to see evidence of this happening successfully in practice, but let’s see!  

“From our perspective, we’re doubling down on the human aspect of our work so I think we’ll see more and more in the way of hyper-customised trips at our end of the spectrum.

“DIY tools are ever improving so that will go on in parallel but largely outside of the Epic world! The beauty is that there is something for everyone out there in the world of trip planning. 

“We’re always trying to slow people down! It would be nice to think that might happen, and that people will take some more time to reflect while on vacation, but it isn’t always easy!” Charlies laughs.

“Co-creation helps this happen, but we have a lot of high-energy guests who are time-poor and have a great appetite for discovery. But slowing down to “smell the roses” might just be the next thing…”

What new directions or goals do you have for Epic in the next few years?

“We would like to continue to evolve. We have an amazing team to whom innovation and progress is important and we know we’ll have to be agile to move with the times, as no doubt a lot of change will come in the next few years,” says Charlie. 

“I think more and more of our value will be in special projects and special products. We continue to be disinterested in operating at high volume and remain committed to quality. 

“You might see a broadening of our geographical scope but not at the expense of over-tourism. With this in mind, you’ll see an ever more environmentally and socially conscious Epic as we get to grips with ever-increasing planetary challenges.” 

How do you see Epic differentiating itself further in the competitive world of luxury travel?

“We are lucky to have been around for 20 years and to have cultivated some wonderful relationships,” says Charlie. “The years have taught me how important this is and it’s such a wonderfully solid platform on which to build our future. 

“It doesn’t mean to say that we can or will be complacent, but we have the people and the relationships in place to continue to be at the cutting edge of high-end adventure travel.” 

How is Epic adapting to the demand for sustainable travel?

“We work on an ongoing basis with a sustainability (ESG) strategist, and we’ve built a team of “sustainability champions” to power the effort within Epic,” Charlies says. 

“There are lots of paradoxes and competing forces to grapple with, but our strategy is to not spread ourselves too thin. Like – I must say – many great people in our industry, we believe in “travel as a force for good” and we’re making sure that our actions reinforce and emphasise this.”

Read next… Travel off the beaten path in São Tomé and Príncipe

What excites you most about the future of travel and the next chapter for Epic? 

“In the true spirit of adventure, my biggest excitement is that I don’t have a crystal ball and I don’t know what is going to happen in the future. It goes a bit with the adventure territory,” he says. 

“I think anyone with a 10-year plan – or even a 5-year one – these days is mad. I don’t mean this in a negative way (far from it), but the world is changing at a pace that we arguably haven’t witnessed before.

“So we’ll continue to develop opportunities as they come along and hopefully we can approach the next 20 years with the same energy and enthusiasm that has carried us through the previous 20!”

Any new destinations or innovations on the horizon?

“Yes! I’m pleased to say that I have recently moved to Spain with my family and that we will be launching Epic Spain in 2025. Watch this space!”

Next year will be huge for Epic as we launch a new country and go deeper with our existing destinations. Whether you have time to smell the roses or not – if you’re looking for an unforgettable trip in 2025 or beyond, reach out to our team at info@epic.travel

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