What Global Travel Group does

The Global Travel Group Ltd is a UK-based travel franchise and consortium business founded in 1992 and headquartered in Woking, Surrey, operating as part of The Travel Network Group. The company recruits independent travel agents as members and equips them with the licenses, supplier access, technology, training, and marketing infrastructure required to run a retail travel agency without independent investment in each capability.

Its product stack centers on the £14,995 one-time membership fee plus recurring monthly management fees (1.5% of gross turnover, £500 minimum) and IT support fees (£125 + VAT per month), yielding a hybrid one-time-plus-subscription revenue model. The proprietary technology platform comprises the BORIS back-office accounting system, the iSell dynamic packaging reservation engine, an internal communications intranet, and a Training Academy with 100+ online modules. Members also receive a Group ATOL Licence (via the CAA) that permits flight-inclusive holiday packaging with statutory consumer protection, alongside access to 170+ trade suppliers covering 500,000+ hotel rooms, plus in-house sub-brands (The Cruise Club Concierge, Honeycomb, ITE).

The company primarily serves three member segments: aspiring travel entrepreneurs with no prior industry experience, travel-trained professionals seeking independence, and established small travel agencies seeking consortium-level commercial terms. Distribution is sales-led, relying on direct telephone outreach, website-generated brochure requests, and word-of-mouth referrals from a long-tenured UK member base, with members operating from home, office, or retail locations. No external funding, M&A, or public listing is disclosed.

Name

Global Travel Group

Legal name

The Global Travel Group Ltd

Website

https://globaltravelgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Global Travel Group is a UK travel franchise and consortium, founded in 1992 and part of The Travel Network Group, that equips independent travel agents with ATOL licensing, proprietary booking and back-office technology, training, and access to 170+ suppliers in exchange for membership and recurring management fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Franchise Services

NAICS

Travel Agencies (56151), All Other Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services (561599)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

White-Label Travel Supply Providers (B2B2C Inventory & Packaging) (THAKAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Travel Deal, Loyalty & Subscription Platforms (BPAMAIAM)

Keywords

• Travel franchise services
• Travel agent membership
• ATOL licensing
• Travel consortium network
• Travel booking platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Chester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: One-time fee to become a member of The Global Travel Group, providing access to the franchise business opportunity, training, licenses, and support infrastructure. The fee covers initial setup, branding services, and access to systems.
2. Monthly Management Fee: Recurring monthly fee charged as 1.5% of gross turnover with a minimum of £500 per month. This ongoing fee covers business support, accounts management, supplier relationships, and ongoing assistance from UK-based support teams.
3. IT System Support and Maintenance: Monthly fee of £125 + VAT for technical support, high-speed connectivity, back-office license for one user, and dynamic packaging system access. Additional user licenses available at additional cost.
4. Agent Commission Earnings: Members earn commission on travel bookings made through the platform. A typical holiday booking of £2,500 generates approximately £312.50 in commission after management fee deduction. Commission payments are made monthly.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Global Travel Group operates a travel franchise/consortium business providing independent travel agents and agencies with a comprehensive membership package. The package includes Group ATOL licensing, access to a proprietary booking and back-office platform, a two-week initial training academy with over 100 online modules, marketing materials, and commercial relationships with over 170 trade suppliers and 500,000+ hotels worldwide. Members operate under their own brand identity while benefiting from the network's collective buying power and UK-based support teams.

Product overview

The Global Travel Group operates as a travel franchise network offering a unified business package for aspiring travel entrepreneurs. The core offering is a Travel Franchise Package that provides everything needed to start and operate an independent travel agency, including ATOL licensing for packaging holidays, access to over 170 trade suppliers, and comprehensive training through the Training Academy. The package is powered by the iSell Dynamic Packaging System for reservations and BORIS Back Office System for accounting. Additional modules include The Cruise Club Concierge for cruise specialist services, personalised travel websites for members, and ongoing IT and marketing support. The company has been established since 1992 and is part of The Travel Network Group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Cruise Club Concierge: In-house cruise tour operator offering exclusive cruise booking services to members.
• Honeycomb
• ITE
• Cruise Club

Products and services

• Travel Franchise Package
• Training Academy
• The Cruise Club Concierge
• ATOL Licensing

Quantifiable outcome

• Typical holiday booking of £2,500 generates £312.50 commission after management fee deduction; averaging 1 booking per day yields gross earnings exceeding £110,000 annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• The Travel Network GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Global Travel Group is part of The Travel Network Group, a parent company that is home to over 1,200 members. The Travel Network Group provides the overarching structure, ATOL licensing, and commercial relationships that benefit all member agencies under the Global Travel Group brand.
• 170+ Tour Operators and Trade SupplierscoreOthersCommercial agreements with over 170 trade suppliers including the largest mass market package holiday operators, niche operators, airlines, accommodation units worldwide, insurance providers, car hire, car parking, and airport lounges. The Commercial Department builds and maintains relationships with each supplier to drive sales for agents.
• WorldpaysupportingTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing provider used by The Global Travel Group and its members for processing payments from customers. Part of the payment infrastructure supporting member travel agencies.
• Inspiretec & PaxportsupportingTechnology or IntegrationAggregators used by The Global Travel Group for travel technology and booking aggregation services supporting the member network.
• CAA (Civil Aviation Authority)coreOthersRegulatory body that provides ATOL licensing and oversight. The Group ATOL License is held through CAA, allowing members to package holidays as fully bonded and protected products.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Advantage Travel Partnership: UK travel consortium providing independent travel agents with consolidated buying power, marketing support, and ATOL licensing — directly comparable consortium structure serving the same UK independent agent base.
• Not Just Travel: UK-based travel franchise recruiting independent home-working travel agents with membership model, supplier access, training, and marketing support — directly comparable franchise structure and target member base.
• Travel Counsellors: UK-based home-working travel franchise with thousands of independent travel agents operating under a similar membership model with proprietary booking technology, supplier relationships, and ATOL-style bonding. Closest direct competitor in the UK home-based travel franchise space.

Emerging players

• InteleTravel: US-headquartered home-based travel agency network with international footprint, recruiting independent agents globally. Comparable franchise/membership model with centralized booking technology and supplier access.

Broad incumbents

• Hays Travel: Largest independent UK travel agency chain with hundreds of retail branches. While not a franchise model, Hays competes for the same UK consumer travel bookings and supplier relationships, providing a useful incumbent benchmark.
• Trailfinders: UK-based employee-owned travel agency chain specializing in tailor-made holidays. Comparable as a UK-headquartered, privately-held travel intermediary competing for the same consumer bookings through a different ownership model.
• TUI UK: UK arm of Europe's largest integrated tourism group operating as tour operator, airline, and retail agency chain. Represents the vertically integrated incumbent against which GTG's independent-agent consortium model competes for consumer mindshare and supplier capacity.
• The Travel Network Group: Direct parent company of Global Travel Group and the broader consortium housing 1,200+ members across multiple travel agency brands. Operates the same franchise/consortium model and provides the ATOL licensing and commercial relationships GTG leverages.
• Midcounties Co-operative Travel: UK travel agency consortium operating under the Co-operative brand, providing independent agents with consolidated infrastructure and supplier access. Comparable UK-based consortium model, though structured as a co-operative rather than franchise.

Others

• ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents): UK trade association for travel agents providing industry advocacy, bonding (via ABTA bonds), and standards. Comparable in providing the regulatory and bonding infrastructure layer of the UK travel agent ecosystem that GTG's ATOL license parallels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/JoinGTG
• Facebookfacebook.com/globaltravelgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-global-travel-group-ltd

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Global Travel Group