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Cox & Kings

Full company profile

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Namestring
Cox & Kings
Legal namestring
Cox & Kings
Company typeenum
Private
Founded yearint
1756
Descriptiontext

Cox & Kings is one of the world's oldest travel companies, originally founded in 1756 (some sources cite 1758) in England, and historically organized curated, expert-led leisure tours under the Cox & Kings name alongside ancillary travel services. The original Indian-listed entity (BSE/NSE) suffered severe financial distress and was pushed into India's NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal) insolvency resolution process.

In November 2024, Wilson & Hughes PE, a Singapore-based private equity firm, acquired the Cox & Kings brand and a portfolio of more than 200 sub-brands through the NCLT process. The acquisition explicitly excluded financial and legal liabilities from Cox & Kings' prior operations, with the stated objective of revitalizing the brand in the Indian travel market. The company now operates as a privately held subsidiary of Wilson & Hughes PE, with reported headcount of 51-100 employees and a primary operating geography centered on India.

The company's commercial infrastructure is in early relaunch posture: the inherited UK domain (coxandkings.co.uk) currently resolves to a default nginx placeholder rather than a live booking site, and there are no disclosed pricing models, customer logos, technology stack, product roadmap, or revenue figures in the available sources. The underlying business model, based on the legacy description, centers on curated leisure tour packages, but the rebuilt monetization mechanics, distribution channels, and customer segments under the new sponsor have not yet been disclosed.

Short descriptiontext

Cox & Kings is a historic travel brand (founded 1756) that organizes curated leisure tours. It was acquired by Singapore-based Wilson & Hughes PE through India's NCLT process in November 2024 and is being relaunched in the Indian travel market with a portfolio of over 200 sub-brands.

Operating statusenum
Operating
Ownership categoryenum
Headcount rangeband
51–100
akta.pro rankint
HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
HQ citystring
London
HQ countrystring
United Kingdom
HQ regionstring
Europe
Markets served

Serves global market

Keyword5 values
leisure travel packages, curated tour services, holiday tour operator, travel agency services, group tour packages
Industry1 code
1Multi-Country/Regional Circuit Tour Operators
CodeTHAKADAKPrimaryYes
NAICS code2 codes
  • Tour Operators561520
  • Tour Operators56152
Product category
Travel & Tourism Services
Social media profiles2 records
Cost components3 values
Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel
GTM typeB2C
B2C
Offering typeServices
Services
Brand1 record
1Over 200 sub-brands
Description

Various travel sub-brands and brands acquired as part of the Cox & Kings portfolio through the NCLT process.

business-standard.com
Core offering1 text field

Cox & Kings is a historic travel and tourism brand that organizes curated leisure tours and holiday packages coordinated by travel experts. Following its November 2024 acquisition by Wilson & Hughes PE through India's NCLT process, the brand now operates with a portfolio of over 200 travel sub-brands targeted at the Indian travel market, with prior financial and legal liabilities excluded from the transaction.

Differentiator
Functional benefit
Problem solved
Product and service1 record
1Cox & Kings Leisure Travel Packages
CategoryLeisure travel and tours
Description

Curated leisure tours and holiday packages coordinated by travel experts, sold to Indian consumers under the historic Cox & Kings brand and its portfolio of over 200 acquired sub-brands following the 2024 acquisition by Wilson & Hughes PE.

Scale indicator1 record

Each record includes

Type, Value, Description, Source

Recent move4 records

Each record includes

Date, Type, Title, Description, Source

Expansion highlight4 records

Each record includes

Type, Description

Peers10 records
TypeDirect peer
Description

Historic British-origin travel brand operating in India offering multi-day leisure, MICE, and outbound tour packages; the closest direct comparable to Cox & Kings in heritage positioning, customer base, and multi-day circuit-tour offering.

TypeDirect peer
Description

Indian tour operator specializing in domestic and international holiday packages, escorted group tours, and customized itineraries; directly comparable as a multi-day tour operator competing for the same Indian leisure-traveler segment.

TypeDirect peer
Description

Mumbai-based multi-day tour operator focused on international and domestic group tours for Indian travelers; competes head-to-head with Cox & Kings in escorted and customized package tours.

TypeDirect peer
Description

Indian tour operator with strong presence in group tours, MICE, and customized holidays; comparable in product mix (multi-day packages, escorted tours) and target customer (Indian leisure travelers).

TypeBroad incumbent
Description

India's largest online travel aggregator offering flights, hotels, holidays, and tour packages; a broad incumbent whose holiday-packages vertical directly overlaps with Cox & Kings' tour-operator business.

TypeBroad incumbent
Description

Major Indian OTA offering flights, hotels, and holiday packages; comparable as a broad incumbent that competes for Indian leisure travel spend alongside traditional tour operators.

TypeBroad incumbent
Description

Indian OTA providing flights, hotels, and curated travel experiences; competes in adjacent holiday and packages category where tour operators like Cox & Kings also operate.

TypeBroad incumbent
Description

Global tourism group operating tour operators, airlines, and hotels across multiple markets; comparable in heritage-tour-operator heritage and multi-day package-tour business model at global scale.

TypeDirect peer
Description

Luxury multi-country tour operator specializing in high-end escorted tours and tailor-made itineraries; comparable as a heritage, premium-positioned multi-day tour operator with global reach.

TypeDirect peer
Description

Globally recognized escorted-tour brands operating multi-country, multi-day circuit tours; directly comparable to Cox & Kings in guided-tour product type and circuit-tour operating model.

Market position
Strengths5 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Weaknesses5 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Competitive moat2 records

Each record includes

Type, Details

Key risks5 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Key highlights5 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Customer concentration

Classification, Details

Ideal customer profile1 record

Each record includes

Profile, Firmographic size, Sales motion, Sales cycle length, Buying structure, Purchase trigger, Buyer persona, Geography, Industry vertical, Primary use case, Description, Pain points, Evidence proof points, Target buyer

Technology focused
No
API detail
Has APIbool
No

Docs URL, Description

AI maturity
App detail

Has app

Core technology
Revenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Number of profiles
No data
No data
Funding overview

Funding stage, Last funding date, Total funding USD

Funding rounds

Each record includes

Round, Amount USD, Date, Pre money valuation, Total investors, Investors, News

Investors

Each record includes

Name, Type, Date of entry, Rounds participated, Website

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Each record includes

Name, Acquisition type, Announced date, Completed date, Status, Website, News

Investment

Each record includes

Name, Round, Announced date, Lead investor, Website, News

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Cox & Kings

Travel & Tourism Servicescoxandkings.co.uk

Cox & Kings is a historic travel brand (founded 1756) that organizes curated leisure tours. It was acquired by Singapore-based Wilson & Hughes PE through India's NCLT process in November 2024 and is being relaunched in the Indian travel market with a portfolio of over 200 sub-brands.

What Cox & Kings does

Cox & Kings is one of the world's oldest travel companies, originally founded in 1756 (some sources cite 1758) in England, and historically organized curated, expert-led leisure tours under the Cox & Kings name alongside ancillary travel services. The original Indian-listed entity (BSE/NSE) suffered severe financial distress and was pushed into India's NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal) insolvency resolution process.

In November 2024, Wilson & Hughes PE, a Singapore-based private equity firm, acquired the Cox & Kings brand and a portfolio of more than 200 sub-brands through the NCLT process. The acquisition explicitly excluded financial and legal liabilities from Cox & Kings' prior operations, with the stated objective of revitalizing the brand in the Indian travel market. The company now operates as a privately held subsidiary of Wilson & Hughes PE, with reported headcount of 51-100 employees and a primary operating geography centered on India.

The company's commercial infrastructure is in early relaunch posture: the inherited UK domain (coxandkings.co.uk) currently resolves to a default nginx placeholder rather than a live booking site, and there are no disclosed pricing models, customer logos, technology stack, product roadmap, or revenue figures in the available sources. The underlying business model, based on the legacy description, centers on curated leisure tour packages, but the rebuilt monetization mechanics, distribution channels, and customer segments under the new sponsor have not yet been disclosed.

Cox & Kings firmographics

Firmographics
Name
Cox & Kings
Legal name
Cox & Kings
Website
https://coxandkings.co.uk
Company type
Private
Founded year
1756
Operating status
Operating
Headcount range
51–100 employees
Short description
Cox & Kings is a historic travel brand (founded 1756) that organizes curated leisure tours. It was acquired by Singapore-based Wilson & Hughes PE through India's NCLT process in November 2024 and is being relaunched in the Indian travel market with a portfolio of over 200 sub-brands.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Cox & Kings industry classification

Industry
Product category
Travel & Tourism Services
NAICS
Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152)
akta.pro primary industry
Multi-Country/Regional Circuit Tour Operators (THAKADAK)

Keywords

  • Leisure travel packages
  • Curated tour services
  • Holiday tour operator
  • Travel agency services
  • Group tour packages

Where Cox & Kings is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city
London
HQ country
United Kingdom
HQ region
Europe

Markets served

Cox & Kings business model

Business model
GTM type
B2C
Offering type
Services
Cost components
Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Cox & Kings product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Cox & Kings is a historic travel and tourism brand that organizes curated leisure tours and holiday packages coordinated by travel experts. Following its November 2024 acquisition by Wilson & Hughes PE through India's NCLT process, the brand now operates with a portfolio of over 200 travel sub-brands targeted at the Indian travel market, with prior financial and legal liabilities excluded from the transaction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

  • Over 200 sub-brands: Various travel sub-brands and brands acquired as part of the Cox & Kings portfolio through the NCLT process.

Products and services

  • Cox & Kings Leisure Travel Packages Curated leisure tours and holiday packages coordinated by travel experts, sold to Indian consumers under the historic Cox & Kings brand and its portfolio of over 200 acquired sub-brands following the 2024 acquisition by Wilson & Hughes PE.

Companies that use Cox & Kings

Customer profile

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Cox & Kings technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API
No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Cox & Kings partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Cox & Kings competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

  • Thomas Cook (India): Historic British-origin travel brand operating in India offering multi-day leisure, MICE, and outbound tour packages; the closest direct comparable to Cox & Kings in heritage positioning, customer base, and multi-day circuit-tour offering.
  • SOTC Travel: Indian tour operator specializing in domestic and international holiday packages, escorted group tours, and customized itineraries; directly comparable as a multi-day tour operator competing for the same Indian leisure-traveler segment.
  • Veena World: Mumbai-based multi-day tour operator focused on international and domestic group tours for Indian travelers; competes head-to-head with Cox & Kings in escorted and customized package tours.
  • Kesari Tours: Indian tour operator with strong presence in group tours, MICE, and customized holidays; comparable in product mix (multi-day packages, escorted tours) and target customer (Indian leisure travelers).
  • Abercrombie & Kent: Luxury multi-country tour operator specializing in high-end escorted tours and tailor-made itineraries; comparable as a heritage, premium-positioned multi-day tour operator with global reach.
  • Trafalgar / Contiki (TTC Tour Brands): Globally recognized escorted-tour brands operating multi-country, multi-day circuit tours; directly comparable to Cox & Kings in guided-tour product type and circuit-tour operating model.

Broad incumbents

  • MakeMyTrip: India's largest online travel aggregator offering flights, hotels, holidays, and tour packages; a broad incumbent whose holiday-packages vertical directly overlaps with Cox & Kings' tour-operator business.
  • Yatra Online: Major Indian OTA offering flights, hotels, and holiday packages; comparable as a broad incumbent that competes for Indian leisure travel spend alongside traditional tour operators.
  • Cleartrip: Indian OTA providing flights, hotels, and curated travel experiences; competes in adjacent holiday and packages category where tour operators like Cox & Kings also operate.
  • TUI Group: Global tourism group operating tour operators, airlines, and hotels across multiple markets; comparable in heritage-tour-operator heritage and multi-day package-tour business model at global scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Cox & Kings social profiles

Digital presence

Cox & Kings financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Cox & Kings leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Cox & Kings funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Cox & Kings M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cox & Kings

What does Cox & Kings do?

Cox & Kings is a historic travel and tourism brand that organizes curated leisure tours and holiday packages coordinated by travel experts. Following its November 2024 acquisition by Wilson & Hughes PE through India's NCLT process, the brand now operates with a portfolio of over 200 travel sub-brands targeted at the Indian travel market, with prior financial and legal liabilities excluded from the transaction.

Is Cox & Kings a public or private company?

Cox & Kings is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.

When was Cox & Kings founded?

Cox & Kings was founded in 1756. It employs 51 to 100 people.

Where is Cox & Kings based?

Cox & Kings is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.

Who are Cox & Kings's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Thomas Cook (India), SOTC Travel, Veena World, Kesari Tours, Abercrombie & Kent and Trafalgar / Contiki (TTC Tour Brands). Broad incumbents are MakeMyTrip, Yatra Online, Cleartrip and TUI Group.

Does Cox & Kings have an API?

No public API is recorded for Cox & Kings.

What industry is Cox & Kings in?

Cox & Kings's product category is Travel & Tourism Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKADAK, Multi-Country/Regional Circuit Tour Operators. Its NAICS code is 561520.

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Live signals
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