Halsbury Travel Group
Halsbury Travel Group is a UK-based specialist school travel operator founded in 1986, designing bespoke educational, ski, sports and music trips for UK primary and secondary schools with 24/7 in-trip support and multiple safety accreditations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersNottingham, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Halsbury Travel Group does
Halsbury Travel Group, trading as Halsbury Travel, is a UK-based specialist tour operator focused exclusively on school trips. Founded in 1986 by former teacher Sue Sharkey and now led by Managing Director Keith Sharkey, the company is headquartered at 35 Churchill Park, Nottingham, and has operated continuously for 40 years in the educational travel sector. It serves UK primary and secondary schools across four core product categories: Education School Trips (curriculum-linked by subject and destination), Ski Trips, Sports & Adventure Tours, and Music Tours, with an additional International Schools segment targeting non-UK institutions.
The company's offering combines bespoke human-curated itinerary design with a small digital layer: the My Trip Zone customer portal, the third-party Vamoos mobile travel app for on-trip document access, a downloadable Trip Launch Pack for parent communications, and a published Safety Management System for risk assessments. Trips are supported by specialist Tour Advisers, dedicated Itinerary Coordinators, and 24/7 phone support while groups are abroad, with pricing on a per-person basis (minimum 15 paying passengers) and free staff place ratios built in. Direct distribution is via website quote requests, phone, and email, with no self-serve online booking.
Halsbury monetises primarily through packaged school tour sales (flights, accommodation, activities, coaching sessions, fixtures) supplemented by optional travel insurance add-ons. It holds five sector-specific accreditations — ABTA, ATOL, ABTOT, School Travel Forum membership, and the LOtC Quality Badge — which function as a procurement gate for UK schools. The company has built differentiated supply-side partnerships with elite sports clubs and federations (Feyenoord, AZ Alkmaar, KNVB Campus, HC Rotterdam, SV Kampong, BSAC) that anchor a premium 'Pro Training' tier and is privately held with no disclosed funding, M&A, or institutional ownership.
Halsbury Travel Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Halsbury Travel Group
- Legal name
- Halsbury Travel Ltd
- Website
- https://halsbury.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Halsbury Travel Group is a UK-based specialist school travel operator founded in 1986, designing bespoke educational, ski, sports and music trips for UK primary and secondary schools with 24/7 in-trip support and multiple safety accreditations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Halsbury Travel Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Educational School Travel Services
- NAICS
- Tour Operators (56152), Tour Operators (561520), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land (487110)
- SIC
- Transportation Services (4700), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- School Group & Curriculum-Led Trips (THAKAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Student & Youth Educational Tours (THAKAGAA), Educational & Student Multi-Day Tour Operators (THAKADAJ), Escorted Coach & Bus Package Tour Operators (THAKADAA)
Keywords
Where Halsbury Travel Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nottingham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Halsbury Travel Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- School Trip Packages: Bespoke tour packages for schools combining flights, accommodation, activities, coaching/training sessions, and friendly fixtures. Pricing is per person (PP) with free staff place ratios (1:8 for coach trips, 1:10 for air trips). Packages include various durations from 3-5 nights to 12 days.
- Travel Insurance (Optional Add-on): Optional travel insurance offered as an add-on to bookings, providing supplementary revenue from customers who opt in.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | European school trips (3-5 nights) |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Extended international trips (6-12 days) |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Premium Pro Training Tours |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Free staff place ratios included |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Halsbury Travel Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Halsbury Travel Group is a specialist school travel company that organizes and delivers bespoke international trips for UK schools. Its offering covers four core categories — Educational Subject Trips, Ski Tours, Sports & Adventure Tours, and Music Tours — combining flights, accommodation, activities, professional coaching or training sessions, fixtures, and 24/7 in-trip support into tailored per-person packages. The company coordinates all logistics end-to-end, from itinerary design and bookings to risk assessment documentation and parent communications, serving primarily teachers and group leaders at primary and secondary schools.
Product overview
Halsbury Travel Group operates as a specialist school trip company offering four core product categories: Education School Trips, Ski Trips, Sports & Adventure Tours, and Music Tours. The company provides comprehensive trip planning services with supporting tools including My Trip Zone (customer portal) and Vamoos Travel App (document access). The portfolio covers destinations across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, serving school groups with tailored itineraries, professional coaching partnerships, and end-to-end trip management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Education School Trips
Quantifiable outcome
- Free staff place ratio: 1:8 for coach trips, 1:10 for air trips (included in package pricing)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Halsbury Travel Group
Customer profileNamed customers36 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Halsbury Travel Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Halsbury Travel Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Pinoke HCcoreHockey club offering professional training sessions for UK school groups. One of the top clubs in Europe, known for strong focus on technique, teamwork and sportsmanship. Provides top-tier coaching and world-class facilities for student hockey development.
- HC RotterdamcoreDutch field hockey club whose men's team plays in the Hoofdklasse (highest level of Dutch field hockey). Provides professionally coached training sessions for UK school hockey tours. Students learn from elite-level coaches and can test skills against local opposition.
- SV KampongcoreDescribed as the largest hockey club in the world with 9 pitches. Located in Netherlands, provides professional training facilities for school hockey tours from UK.
- KNVB CampuscoreNetherlands' answer to St. George's Park. Home of Dutch national team training and coach education. Offers professional training sessions with KNVB coaches, facility tours, and exposure to Dutch football culture for UK school groups.
- AZ AlkmaarcoreProfessional Dutch football club providing academy-level coaching sessions for UK school football tours. Students train with club academy coaches and experience professional facilities.
- FeyenoordcoreMajor Dutch football club offering academy coaching sessions for UK school football tours. Part of premium pro training tour packages with sessions led by club academy coaches.
- Ajax (Johan Cruyff Arena)minorSelf-guided stadium tours and club shop visits included in Pro Training Football Tours. Not direct training partnership but access to facilities for educational stadium experiences.
- British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC)coreProvides Ocean Diver Course certification for scuba diving school trips to Malta. Students complete 3-day course including theory, pool/sheltered water sessions, and open-water dives with BSAC-certified instructors.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Halsbury Travel Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- NST Travel Group: One of the largest UK school tour operators, offering curriculum-linked trips, ski tours, and sports tours to schools. Directly comparable to Halsbury in customer base (UK schools), product mix (education, ski, sports), and bespoke, consultant-led booking model.
- Rayburn Travel: UK school trip specialist offering educational, ski, music, and sports tours with similar accreditations and a focus on UK schools. Closely comparable on product breadth, school-customer focus, and bespoke quotation workflow.
- WST Travel: School tour operator serving UK schools with educational and sports tours across Europe and beyond. Comparable in target customer (UK schools), destination breadth, and tour categories including Pro Training football tours.
- StudyTrips: UK-based educational tour operator focused on curriculum-linked school trips abroad. Direct competitor for Halsbury's core Education School Trips vertical with a similar school-customer base.
- Equity School Travel: UK school tour operator providing bespoke educational and subject-specific trips for primary and secondary schools. Comparable in customer segment (UK schools) and bespoke booking model.
- Travelbound: School and educational group travel company offering international trips for UK schools. Comparable in customer base, tour categories, and bespoke itinerary design.
Emerging players
- Sundown Sports Tours: UK sports tour specialist focused on school and club sports fixtures and tournaments. Comparable on the sports-tour vertical though with a narrower product mix than Halsbury.
Others
- School Travel Forum: Industry body whose members are UK school travel operators including Halsbury itself. Useful as an ecosystem reference for accredited peers operating in the same regulatory framework.
Broad incumbents
- STA Travel (legacy operations): Historically a major youth and student travel brand; its school-groups business overlapped with Halsbury's market. Included as a broader incumbent reference for the school/youth travel category.
- Explore Worldwide: UK adventure tour operator serving small group and educational clients including schools. Comparable as a UK-based operator offering guided group travel, though broader in customer base than Halsbury.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Halsbury Travel Group social profiles
Digital presenceHalsbury Travel Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Halsbury Travel Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Halsbury Travel Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Halsbury Travel Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Halsbury Travel Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Halsbury Travel Group
What does Halsbury Travel Group do?
Halsbury Travel Group is a specialist school travel company that organizes and delivers bespoke international trips for UK schools. Its offering covers four core categories — Educational Subject Trips, Ski Tours, Sports & Adventure Tours, and Music Tours — combining flights, accommodation, activities, professional coaching or training sessions, fixtures, and 24/7 in-trip support into tailored per-person packages. The company coordinates all logistics end-to-end, from itinerary design and bookings to risk assessment documentation and parent communications, serving primarily teachers and group leaders at primary and secondary schools.
Is Halsbury Travel Group a public or private company?
Halsbury Travel Group is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Halsbury Travel Group founded?
Halsbury Travel Group was founded in 1986. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Halsbury Travel Group based?
Halsbury Travel Group is headquartered in Nottingham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Halsbury Travel Group make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. School Trip Packages are the primary driver. The others are travel Insurance (Optional Add-on).
Who are Halsbury Travel Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are NST Travel Group, Rayburn Travel, WST Travel, StudyTrips, Equity School Travel and Travelbound. Sundown Sports Tours is listed as an emerging player. School Travel Forum is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are STA Travel (legacy operations) and Explore Worldwide.
Does Halsbury Travel Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Halsbury Travel Group.
What industry is Halsbury Travel Group in?
Halsbury Travel Group's product category is Educational School Travel Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKAGAB, School Group & Curriculum-Led Trips, with a secondary code of THAKAGAA, Student & Youth Educational Tours. Its NAICS code is 56152 and its SIC code is 4700.