What Shearings Holidays Ltd does

Shearings Holidays Ltd (legal entity Shearings Travel Limited) is a UK-based packaged-holiday tour operator headquartered in Rotherham (Sunway House, Canklow Meadows, S60 2XR) and operating as part of the Leger Shearings Group. The company sells escorted coach holidays, self-drive breaks, river cruises, rail experiences, and event-driven packages across the UK and twelve European countries. A catalogue of 269 UK holidays is complemented by European itineraries spanning Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Eastern Europe, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Switzerland. Distribution is anchored by an extensive network of regional coach departure points covering hundreds of UK towns and cities, direct phone sales, a self-serve website booking platform, a MyBooking customer portal, a travel-agent login portal, and free printed brochure distribution.

The product set is organised around a core coach-holiday offering and several branded sub-lines: The Signature Collection (premium 4-star hotels and guided tours), Solo Traveller Holidays (no-single-supplement options and a dedicated single-room availability finder), Warner Hotel Breaks, Rail Experiences, Christmas Market Breaks, Festive and New Year packages, and Live Events and Occasions holidays (André Rieu, ABBA Voyage, Jane McDonald, Grand National). Pricing ranges from £209 per person for short UK breaks to over £1,400 per person for premium or longer European itineraries, with a £1-per-person deposit model and automated balance payments reducing booking friction. Customer financial protection is provided through ABTOT bonding (membership 5600) and a 100% secure Trust Account.

Shearings' go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, supported by multi-channel marketing including TV advertising, website content, brochure distribution, Trustpilot reviews, email, and British Travel Awards positioning (nine trophies won in 2025 and ten 2026 nominations). The primary customer segments are mature UK leisure travellers aged 50+, solo travellers, and group travel parties, served through UK-based reservations and customer service with no overseas call centres. The company does not disclose revenue figures, has no public API, and reports no AI/ML capability in its product stack. Operating activity is current, with forward bookings open through 2026, 2027, and 2028.

Name

Shearings Holidays Ltd

Legal name

Shearings Travel Limited

Website

https://shearings.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Shearings Holidays Ltd is a UK-based packaged-holiday tour operator selling escorted coach holidays, self-drive breaks, river cruises, and event-driven packages across the UK and Europe. It primarily serves mature 50+ leisure travellers and solo travellers through direct phone, website, and travel-agent channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Package Tour Operator (Coach Holidays)

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation (487), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Other (487990)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Activity & Expedition Packages (Guided Adventure Trips) (THAJABAL)

Keywords

• Coach holidays
• Escorted group tours
• Package holidays UK
• River cruises Europe
• Self-drive holidays

Headquarters

HQ city

Wigan

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Package Holiday Bookings: Primary revenue stream from selling all-inclusive package holidays combining coach transport, hotel accommodation, meals, and excursions. Customers pay per person with pricing ranging from £209 to over £1,400 depending on holiday duration and destination. Single supplements apply for solo travellers in shared rooms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Shearings Holidays Ltd is a UK package holiday tour operator that sells all-inclusive escorted coach holidays, self-drive breaks, river cruises, and rail experiences across the UK and Europe. Bookings are taken by phone, via the company's website, or through registered travel agents, with regional coach departure points across hundreds of UK towns. Each holiday bundles transport, hotel accommodation, meals, and excursions into a single per-person price.

Product overview

Shearings Holidays Ltd is a UK-based holiday tour operator offering a portfolio of travel packages centered on coach holidays, self-drive holidays, and river cruises. The core offering consists of escorted group coach holidays across the UK and Europe, with products organized into branded sub-categories including The Signature Collection (premium packages), Solo Traveller Holidays (singles-focused), Warner Hotel Breaks, and seasonal offerings like Christmas Market Breaks and Festive/New Year packages. Additional products include Rail Experiences (heritage and scenic rail holidays), All-Inclusive packages, and Mini-Breaks for short-duration getaways. The company also provides group travel services and a customer booking management portal (MyBooking). Destinations span the UK, Europe (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Spain, Switzerland), with a network of regional departure points across Britain.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Leger Shearings Group: Parent group of companies that includes Shearings

Products and services

• Coach Holidays Escorted group holidays by comfortable coach, with regional departure points across the UK, accommodation, meals and excursions included, removing the need for customers to drive or navigate themselves.
• Self-Drive Holidays Independent holiday packages where customers drive themselves to destinations, typically bundled with hotel stays and optional excursions.
• River Cruises Cruise holiday packages along European rivers, combining coach travel to the ship with onboard accommodation and included excursions.
• The Signature Collection Premium holiday packages featuring higher-specification 4-star hotels, guided tours and enhanced inclusions for customers wanting an upgraded experience.
• Solo Traveller Holidays Holidays designed for solo travellers, with dedicated single-room availability and reduced or no single-room supplement options.
• Warner Hotel Breaks Hotel break packages at Warner hotels in the UK, with entertainment, dining and leisure facilities bundled into the price.
• Rail Experiences Holiday packages built around rail travel, including heritage railways, steam trains and scenic rail routes as featured experiences.
• Christmas Market Breaks Seasonal festive packages visiting European and UK Christmas markets, including market visits, accommodation and seasonal entertainment.
• Festive and New Year Breaks Holiday packages covering the Christmas and New Year period, including Turkey and Tinsel breaks, Christmas Day specials and New Year gala dinners.
• All-Inclusive Holidays Holiday packages where meals, drinks and a selection of activities are bundled into the price for hassle-free budgeting.
• Mini-Breaks and Short Breaks Short-duration holiday packages typically lasting two to four days, positioned as weekend getaways or quick escapes.
• Express Travel Holidays Quick-paced holiday itineraries that maximise sightseeing opportunities within a condensed time frame.
• Group Travel Tailored holiday packages for clubs, societies and social groups, with custom itineraries and group pricing options.
• MyBooking Portal Online customer portal for managing existing bookings, accessing travel documents and making automated balance payments.

Quantifiable outcome

• No driving, parking, navigating, or lugging luggage required - complete travel convenience
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• TUI Group: Largest UK tour operator with package holidays, flights, and hotels. Overlaps with Shearings on bundled all-inclusive holidays and UK departures, but operates at much larger scale and broader scope (air-inclusive).
• Cosmos Tours: International escorted tour operator with a UK presence offering coach tours across Europe. Broader geographic scale and more global brand, but overlapping customer demographic and product format.

Direct peers

• Leger Holidays: Sister brand within the same Leger Shearings Group offering escorted coach tours, battlefield tours, and European holidays. Most directly comparable peer given shared group ownership, customer overlap, and identical distribution model.
• Great Rail Journeys: UK escorted rail holiday operator offering scenic and heritage rail experiences across the UK and Europe. Comparable product overlap on the Rail Experiences category Shearings offers.
• National Express (Coach Holidays / Warner Holidays): UK-based coach travel operator with a coach-holiday product aimed at value-conscious UK travellers. Competes head-to-head with Shearings on UK and European coach tour packages with similar demographic targeting.
• Titan Travel: UK escorted tour operator offering coach, rail, and cruise holidays for the mature UK traveller. Directly comparable customer demographic and premium escorted-tour product mix.
• Riviera Travel: UK escorted tour operator offering river cruises, European coach tours, and ocean cruises for the 50+ market. Closely comparable on product mix (especially river cruises), customer demographic, and premium positioning.
• Saga Holidays: UK specialist in holidays for the over-50s, offering escorted tours, cruises, and hotel breaks. Directly comparable on customer demographic (50+), trust/financial protection messaging, and product breadth.
• Newmarket Holidays: UK tour operator offering escorted coach holidays, air holidays, and river cruises for the 50+ demographic. Comparable on product format, customer segment, and bundled all-inclusive pricing approach.

Emerging players

• Omega Holidays: Smaller UK coach holiday operator offering UK short breaks and European tours for the mature traveller. Niche competitor with similar demographic targeting but smaller catalogue and network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shearings-holidays

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&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Shearings Holidays Ltd