What Star Tours does

Star Tours UK Limited is a privately held UK tour operator founded in 1997 and headquartered in Perivale, Greater London, selling guided group package holidays primarily to British travellers and the South Asian diaspora. The company's product set spans European coach tours, UK domestic holidays, European flight holidays, Eurostar rail tours, worldwide long-haul group tours (India, Far East, North and South America, Australia/New Zealand, Africa), cruises, and niche pilgrimage products such as the BAPS Mandir Paris Opening tour, with add-on services covering private group/MICE travel, chauffeured coach and minibus hire, visa assistance, travel insurance referral, a Loyalty Stars rewards program, and home pick-up. Prices are quoted per person, ranging from £138 for short European coach breaks to $5,575 for 16-day Australia & New Zealand itineraries, with early-bird discounts, child rates, and single supplements.

Distribution is direct-to-consumer through the startours.co.uk website, a dedicated bookings.startours.co.uk booking platform (powered by Distinctive Systems with Opayo payment processing and Comodo SSL), and 24/7 telephone sales lines in the UK, India, and the US. Marketing relies on website content, social channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest), email newsletters, and physical brochures. The company holds ABTA, ATOL, ASTA, and IATAN accreditations, providing statutory financial protection on package and Flight-Plus holidays.

The business is founder/privately owned with no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. Headcount is reported in the 51–100 band, and operating geographies cover 35+ countries across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the Americas, Oceania, and Africa. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the company carries no mobile app, public API, or documented AI/ML capability.

Name

Star Tours

Legal name

Star Tours UK Limited

Website

https://startours.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Star Tours UK Limited is a privately held UK tour operator founded in 1997 that sells guided group package holidays — European coach tours, UK breaks, long-haul worldwide tours, cruises, and pilgrimage trips — direct-to-consumer to British travellers and the South Asian diaspora across 35+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Group Tour Operator Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation (487), Travel Agencies (56151)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Escorted Coach & Bus Package Tour Operators (THAKADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Charter & Tour Coach Operators (TLAFAFAB), Cruise & Land Tour (Cruisetour) Package Operators (THAKADAO), Rail Journey Package Tour Operators (THAKADAN)

Keywords

• Group tour packages
• Coach holidays
• Escorted package travel
• Worldwide group tours
• Pilgrimage tour operator

Headquarters

HQ city

Wembley

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Package Holidays and Tours: Star Tours generates revenue through selling pre-packaged group travel holidays that include accommodation, transportation (coach/flight), meals, sightseeing, and tour manager services. Pricing is per person based on double/triple occupancy with child discounts and single supplements available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Star Tours is a UK-based group tour operator that sells escorted package holidays to destinations across Europe, the UK, India, the Far East, the Americas, Africa, and Oceania. Each tour package bundles transportation (coach, flight, or Eurostar rail), hand-picked accommodation, select meals, guided sightseeing, entrance fees, and a dedicated tour manager. The company also provides chauffeured coach and minibus hire, private group and MICE arrangements, and partners to offer visa assistance and travel insurance referrals.

Product overview

Star Tours operates as a group travel tour operator offering a portfolio of fixed-itinerary escorted holiday packages. The core offering consists of Coach Holidays (European and UK coach tours), European Flight Holidays, UK Holidays, Worldwide Group Holidays (long-haul destinations), and Eurostar rail-based holidays. These are complemented by specialized India Tours, Far East Tours, Cruises, and the BAPS Mandir Paris Opening pilgrimage tour. Add-on services include Private Groups & MICE (customized group travel), Chauffeured Coach and Minibus Hire, Visa Assistance, Travel Insurance referral, the Loyalty Stars rewards program, and Home Pick-Up Service. All tours are sold as packages with accommodation, transportation, select meals, and sightseeing bundled into the price. The company targets the South Asian diaspora and multicultural British/European travelers seeking cultural and religious tourism experiences alongside mainstream leisure travel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coach Holidays Fixed-itinerary group coach tours across Europe and the UK, typically bundling transportation, accommodation, meals, and guided sightseeing at major destinations for leisure travelers.
• European Flight Holidays Fly-and-stay tour packages to European destinations combining flights with hotel stays and structured guided sightseeing itineraries.
• UK Holidays Domestic UK coach tours covering England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland with accommodation and included sightseeing.
• Worldwide Group Holidays Long-haul international tours to destinations including India, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Far East, Vietnam, Cambodia, Egypt, and Canada with flights, accommodation, and guided excursions.
• Eurostar Holidays European tours departing via Eurostar rail connections from London to destinations such as Paris, Brussels, and beyond.
• Cruises Norway Fjords and other cruise holiday packages with accommodation, meals, and onboard activities bundled into the price.
• BAPS Mandir Paris Opening Specialised pilgrimage tour to the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Paris, including accommodation and guided visits.
• Private Groups & MICE Customised group travel services for private parties, corporate events, and incentive travel with tailored itineraries and dedicated coordination.
• Chauffeured Coach and Minibus Hire Self-drive and chauffeured coach and minibus rental services for groups requiring private transportation.
• North & South America Holidays Escorted group tour packages to North and South American destinations including the USA (e.g. Coast to Coast), Canada, Argentina, Brazil, and Peru.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• SageminorOthersAccounting software provider used for financial management and payment processing infrastructure.
• Sure TravelminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTravel insurance provider offering insurance products to UK residents booking through Star Tours website.
• Travel GuardminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTravel insurance provider offering insurance products to US residents booking through Star Tours website.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• TUI Group: Europe's largest integrated tour operator and airline, offering packaged holidays across similar European and long-haul destinations at scale, posing competitive pressure on Star Tours' UK and worldwide products.
• Jet2Holidays: Major UK package holiday operator combining flights and accommodation at scale, competing with Star Tours' European Flight Holidays on price and brand reach.
• Trafalgar Tours: Global guided-holiday brand (part of The Travel Corporation) offering escorted worldwide tours with similar itinerary style and customer base to Star Tours' Worldwide Group Holidays.

Direct peers

• Shearings: Long-established UK escorted coach and hotel-break operator targeting similar over-50s and group leisure customers with comparable all-inclusive package structure.
• Leger Holidays: UK-based escorted coach tour operator offering multi-day European and UK itineraries with similar customer demographic and pricing tier to Star Tours' coach holidays.
• Cox & Kings: Heritage tour operator with strong India and Asia heritage tours, directly comparable to Star Tours' India Tours and Far East Tours portfolio for the UK market.
• Saga Holidays: UK over-50s escorted tour operator with packaged holidays, cruises, and rail tours, overlapping with Star Tours' UK Holidays, European coach tours, and cruises.
• Titan Travel: UK escorted tour specialist offering worldwide and European guided holidays with tour managers, overlapping directly with Star Tours' escorted coach and flight-tour products.
• Travelsphere: UK escorted tour operator focused on worldwide guided holidays for British travellers, with a similar package-tour, tour-manager-led proposition to Star Tours.

Regional players

• SOTC Travel (Thomas Cook India): Large India-based tour operator serving inbound and outbound Indian travellers; comparable to Star Tours' India Tours product line in itinerary design and customer preferences, though operating primarily in India.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/startoursUK
• LinkedInuk.linkedin.com/company/star-tours
• Instagraminstagram.com/startoursuk1997
• Pinterestpinterest.co.uk/startoursuk1997
• Xx.com/StarToursUK

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Star Tours