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Velvet Digest

How many tour operators are there in the UK?

Author

Ava Hall

Updated on May 05, 2026

In 2018, there were over two thousand tour operators in the UK.

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Hereof, how many travel companies are there in the UK?

Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) - Overview ABTA's 600 plus tour operators and 2300 travel agency companies have over 7000 offices and are responsible for the sale of more than 90% of UK-sold package holidays.

Subsequently, question is, who is the biggest tour operator in the UK? Following nine months of campaigning, we are pleased to reveal that this includes the three largest operators in Britain – TUI, Jet2 and Thomas Cook – as well as British Airways Holidays, Audley Travel, Expedia, Kuoni and Explore.

Also to know, how many tour operators are there?

There are five main categories of tour operators that you could fall into: inbound tour operators, outbound tour operators, domestic tour operators, receptive tour operators and ground tour operators. Let's find out which one of these five you fall into.

Which is the best travel agency in UK?

Below you will find 24 of the best tour operators and travel agencies in England offering in total 280 tours and holidays through-out England.

Sherpa Expeditions

  • Best-in-Class Top 5% of companies.
  • Excellent Service Top 10% of companies.
  • Superior Service Top 15% of companies.
Related Question Answers

How do I become an independent travel agent?

How to Start a Successful Independent Travel Agency
  1. Connect with a Host Agency. One of the best tips is to connect with a host agency to begin a career as an independent travel agent.
  2. Make Sure You Get the Necessary Training.
  3. Develop a Niche Market.
  4. Become the Expert.
  5. Give Your Customers the Service You Want for Yourself.

How do I set up a travel agency from home UK?

How to Become a Travel Agent: Starting Your Business
  1. Step 1: Create a plan for your travel business.
  2. Step 2: Conduct market research and find your niche.
  3. Step 3: Develop a brand as a travel agent.
  4. Step 4: Deal with the legal side.
  5. Step 5: Determine your funding strategy.
  6. Step 6: Choose a location and hire employees.
  7. Step 7: Market and launch your travel business.

What is the difference between a travel agency and a tour operator?

The difference between tour operators and travel agents. They sell the package either directly to the consumer or use the services of a travel agent to do so. A tour operator sells the product that they themselves create. They do not sell anybody else's packages, they sell only their own creations.

What is a benefit of tourism?

Tourism boosts our economy, employs thousands of people, enriches our businesses and pays for important public services, such as education and law enforcement. Tourism works for each of us, every day. Tourism funds operating expenses and infrastructure in our local public education system.

What is the difference between travel agent and travel agency?

The travel agency and a travel company are entirely different from one another. The difference is that : The Travel Agents hold the role of selling and administering packages from various tour operations to their personal clients based on what they're looking for and what packages suits each clients best.

How many types of tour packages are there?

Here are some of the most common tourism packages:
  1. Adventure Tourism Package.
  2. Wildlife Tourism Package.
  3. Medical Tourism Package.
  4. Pilgrimage Tourism Package.
  5. Eco Tourism Package.
  6. Cultural Tourism Package.
  7. Cruise Tourism Package.
  8. Wellness Tourism Package.

What do tour operators offer?

A tour operator typically combines tour and travel components to create a package holiday. They advertise and produce brochures to promote their products, holidays and itineraries.

What are travel agents responsible for?

A travel agent's role is to help people plan, choose and arrange their holiday. They will usually work to a budget set out by whoever is planning the holiday. They also offer advice and opinions on where to go and local tourist attractions, events and customs.

How do you sell tours?

Here are 10 easy ways to sell more tours online:
  1. Update Your Blog Regularly with Direct Links to Tours and Activities.
  2. Run an Email-Only Special Offer.
  3. Host a Contest.
  4. Develop a YouTube Presence.
  5. Make Sure Your Tour and Activity Site is Mobile-Friendly.
  6. Take Advantage of Dynamic Remarketing with Online Ads.

What is the difference between tour operator and wholesaler?

Traditionally, there was a clear difference between these two business models – tour operators sold their products largely through travel agents, who then sold the same product at the same price to the end traveler, whereas tour wholesalers sold their product to other tour operators as well as travel agents at a deeply

What are the different types of tours?

There are 3 main types of tours:
  • Sightseeing Tours.
  • Shore Excursion Tours.
  • Adventure or Sporting Tours.
  • Other Types of Tours.
  • Combining Tours.

Who is the biggest tour operator?

List of top earning travel companies
Rank Company 2017 sales
1 Expedia Group $88 billion
2 Booking Holdings $81.6 billion
3 American Express Global Business Travel $32.7 billion
4 BCD Travel $25.7 billion

Who is the best holiday company?

The top 5 online travel agents for the best holiday deals
  1. Lastminute.com. Why we rate it: This all-encompassing online travel agent has been a trusted booking service since 1998, and with over 18,000 reviews its Trustpilot score is excellent.
  2. Opodo. Why we rate it: Opodo is part of ODIGEO, Europe's largest online travel company.
  3. eDreams.
  4. On The Beach.
  5. Expedia.

Is jet2holidays a tour operator?

Jet2holidays. Jet2Holidays Limited (stylized as Jet2holidays) is a British package holiday provider and tour operator. It was formed in 2007 as a subsidiary of Dart Group PLC, and a sister to Jet2.com, the third-largest scheduled airline in the UK.

Do people still use travel agents?

Travel agents—often known as travel advisors today—are alive and well in the age of Google flight searches and HotelTonight app bookings, flexing their muscular connections to hotel, tour, and cruise companies to get their clients good deals, convenient itineraries, and tailored experiences.

What is the most reliable travel website?

The 14 Best Websites For Booking Flights at The Cheapest Prices
  • Book Direct Through The Airline's Website.
  • Momondo (Top Pick)
  • Expedia.
  • Priceline.
  • Orbitz.
  • Agoda.
  • Hotwire.
  • Skyscanner.

Is it expensive to use a travel agent?

Plus, the Tribune reports that “agencies might charge $25 to $30 to book a domestic flight, $50 to $80 to book a vacation to a single destination and about $100 per hour for research and planning advice.” But, you can typically expect a travel agent to cost around the same as if you'd booked it yourself.

Which travel agency is the cheapest?

  • Airfare. Booking.com. Booking.com. Check Prices. Low airfares and comprehensive hotel searches, but not great for finding a rental car.
  • Customizable Quotes. Priceline. Priceline. Check Prices.
  • Car Rentals. Expedia. Expedia. Check Prices.
  • Flexible Planning. Kayak. KAYAK. Check Prices.
  • Feature Comparisons. Hipmunk. Hipmunk. Check Prices.

What is the largest online travel agency?

The Expedia Group is the largest online travel agency in the United States with 70 percent market share, according to travel data firm Phocuswright. Expedia Group operates Expedia.com, Orbitz, Hotels.com, Trivago, CheapTickets, Hotwire, HomeAway, and Travelocity.