Authentic Vacations
Authentic Vacations is a Scottsdale-based tour operator that designs and sells customized leisure vacation packages to Ireland, Scotland, Europe, Scandinavia, Australia, and New Zealand, serving individual travelers through direct sales, a self-service Trip Planner App, and a B2B travel advisor portal.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersScottsdale, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Authentic Vacations does
Authentic Vacations is a Scottsdale-headquartered, privately held tour operator that designs and sells customized vacation packages to a portfolio of destinations including Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Italy, Iceland, Scandinavia, Australia, and New Zealand. Founded in 2001, the company operates as a subsidiary of Tour Partner Group and maintains in-destination offices in London, Dublin, Edinburgh, and Copenhagen, plus a US West Coast office in San Francisco, providing on-the-ground support for travelers. Its core platform is the Trip Planner App, a self-service online booking tool, complemented by Small Guided Vacations (max 18 passengers), themed itineraries (golf, honeymoons, castles, Game of Thrones, Outlander, culinary, whisky), and a newly launched 2027 Expedition Cruises product in partnership with Tour Partner Group and Polar Latitudes Expeditions.
The business operates a hybrid go-to-market: direct-to-consumer sales via a toll-free phone line and website, alongside a B2B2C Travel Advisor Portal that supplies independent travel agents with FIT quotes, white-label marketing tools, and commission tracking across multiple host agency affiliations (Virtuoso, Signature, and others). Pricing is unit-based per package, with packages ranging from approximately $1,222 (3-night Ireland self-drive) to $6,760+ (7-night Iceland guided), plus premium-tier expedition cruises; a 20% deposit secures a booking and a Risk-Free Cancellation Policy is offered. The customer base is overwhelmingly individual leisure travelers, served through a long-tail of one-off bookings rather than enterprise contracts, with parent company Tour Partner Group providing additional supplier scale and operational resources. Leadership consists of CEO Simon Russell and COO Mary Beth Kelm; the company is a member of ASTA, BBB+, IATA, Tourism Ireland, VisitBritain, VisitScotland, and IOTA, and holds a California Seller of Travel certification (CST#2126559).
Authentic Vacations firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Authentic Vacations
- Legal name
- Authentic Vacations
- Website
- https://authenticvacations.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Authentic Vacations is a Scottsdale-based tour operator that designs and sells customized leisure vacation packages to Ireland, Scotland, Europe, Scandinavia, Australia, and New Zealand, serving individual travelers through direct sales, a self-service Trip Planner App, and a B2B travel advisor portal.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Authentic Vacations industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Custom Travel and Tour Services
- NAICS
- Tour Operators (561520), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721), Tour Operators (56152)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Island, Beach & Resort Travel Agencies (THAKAFAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Luxury Cruise + Land Expedition Operators (Cruise-Tour Programs) (THAEABAH), Luxury Yacht & Small-Ship Expedition Cruises (THAEABAF), Specialty-Themed Boutique Cruises (Culinary, Wellness, Diving, Culture) (THAEADAJ)
Keywords
Where Authentic Vacations is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Scottsdale
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Authentic Vacations business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Tour Package Sales: Customized vacation packages to Ireland, Scotland, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and beyond. Packages include accommodations, transportation, experiences, and sometimes meals. Priced per person based on double occupancy.
- Expedition Cruises: 2027 expedition cruises in partnership with Tour Partner Group and Polar Latitudes Expeditions. Includes voyages to Scotland, Iceland, and Svalbard aboard Ocean Victory and Ocean Albatros vessels.
- Travel Advisor Commissions: Travel advisors register through portal, book clients, and earn commissions. Supports multiple host agency affiliations including Virtuoso, Signature, and other consortia.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Budget to Mid-Range Ireland Tours |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Small Guided Vacations |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Expedition Cruises 2027 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Scotland Tours |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Authentic Vacations product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Authentic Vacations designs and sells customized vacation packages and themed tours to 35+ destinations including Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Italy, Iceland, Scandinavia, Australia, and New Zealand. Offerings span self-drive, private chauffeur, small guided group tours (max 18 passengers), and 2027 expedition cruises. Customers can book via a Trip Planner App, toll-free phone sales, or through a network of registered travel advisors.
Product overview
Authentic Vacations operates as a travel booking platform offering customizable vacation packages and guided tours to destinations worldwide. The core offering consists of a Trip Planner App for self-service booking and Custom Vacation Packages, supplemented by Small Guided Vacations (small group tours with maximum 18 passengers) and the newly launched Expedition Cruises 2027 (in partnership with Tour Partner Group and Polar Latitudes Expeditions). The company also provides a Travel Advisor Portal for travel agents to access quotes, bookings, and commissions. Destinations span Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Italy, Iceland, Scandinavia, Australia, and New Zealand, with themed offerings including golf, honeymoons, culinary, castles and manors, and film location tours.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Custom Vacation Packages Fully customized multi-destination vacation packages to Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Italy, Iceland, Scandinavia, Australia, and New Zealand, including accommodations, transportation, and experiences tailored by destination specialists to individual traveler preferences.
- Small Guided Vacations Guided group tours capped at 18 passengers with private local guides and drivers, 4- and 5-star accommodations, distinctive experiences, and guaranteed departures to destinations including Iceland, Southern Ireland, Norway, Scotland, Portugal, and France.
- Expedition Cruises 2027 expedition cruises in partnership with Tour Partner Group and Polar Latitudes Expeditions aboard Ocean Victory and Ocean Albatros vessels, including The Jewels of Scotland (7 days Dublin to Aberdeen), Highlights of Iceland (8 days), and Svalbard Express (9 days), with luxury cabins, meals, shore excursions, and Wi-Fi included.
- Travel Advisor Portal B2B online portal for registered travel advisors and agents to access custom FIT and small guided tour quotes, manage client bookings, use white-label marketing tools, track commissions, and participate in FAM trips, with registration approved within 24 hours and support for host agency affiliations including Virtuoso and Signature.
- Group Travel Private group travel arrangements and specialized itineraries for multiple travelers traveling together, including private group tours and customized group experiences.
- Ireland Vacation Packages Destination-specific custom and packaged vacations to Ireland with themes including Best of Ireland, Castles and Manors, Golf, Honeymoons, Culinary, Spirit of Ireland, Game of Thrones, and Self-Drive tours.
- Scotland Vacation Packages Destination-specific custom and packaged vacations to Scotland featuring themes including Best of Scotland, Castles and Manors, Whisky, Honeymoons, Outlander filming locations, Golf, and Self-Drive tours.
- England Vacation Packages Custom and packaged vacations to England including London experiences, garden and castle tours, and Southern England highlights.
- Wales Vacation Packages Custom and packaged vacations to Wales featuring castle tours, capital city combinations, and essential Wales experiences.
- Italy Vacation Packages Custom and packaged vacations to Italy including Food and Wine tours, Lakes Region, Highlights of Italy, Shore Excursions, and guided Italy tours.
- Iceland Vacation Packages Custom and packaged vacations to Iceland featuring escapes, Southern Iceland tours, and Best of Iceland experiences.
- Scandinavia Vacation Packages Custom and packaged vacations to Scandinavia and Northern Europe including Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Poland, and Greenland, featuring fjord tours, capital journeys, and Arctic adventures, offered in partnership with Vision of Scandinavia.
- Australia Vacation Packages Custom and packaged vacations to Australia featuring Sydney, Great Ocean Road, Tasmania, Rock and Reef, and multi-country combinations with New Zealand.
- New Zealand Vacation Packages Custom and packaged vacations to New Zealand including Classic New Zealand, North and South Island explorers, and comprehensive discovery tours.
Companies that use Authentic Vacations
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Authentic Vacations technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Authentic Vacations partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Polar Latitudes ExpeditionsflagshipAward-winning expedition cruise operator providing 2027 Arctic expedition voyages aboard Ocean Victory and Ocean Albatros vessels. Joint offering includes The Jewels of Scotland, Highlights of Iceland, and Svalbard Express cruises.
- Tour Partner GroupcoreParent company and strategic partner providing organizational scale and resources. Partnership enables cruise expansion and Scandinavia offerings through affiliated Vision of Scandinavia.
- Vision of Scandinavia (V.O.S)core25+ year destination specialist in Nordics and Baltics. Partnership enables small-group vacations and tailor-made travel experiences across Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Poland, and Greenland.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Authentic Vacations competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Rabbie's Small Group Tours: Rabbie's operates small-group guided tours (typically 16 passengers) across the UK, Ireland, and Scotland with local-driver-guides, directly overlapping Authentic Vacations' small guided Scotland and Ireland product line.
- Hurtigruten Group: Hurtigruten operates small-ship coastal voyages and expedition cruises including Norway, Iceland, Svalbard, and Scotland — directly comparable to Authentic Vacations' 2027 Expedition Cruise partnership with Polar Latitudes.
- Trafalgar (Travel Corporation): Trafalgar is a global guided-tour operator offering Europe, Britain, Ireland, Italy, and Scotland itineraries including small-group 'Be My Guest' experiences. It competes head-to-head in the small guided vacations category at similar price points.
- Insight Vacations: Insight Vacations offers premium small-group guided tours across Europe and Britain with 4-5 star accommodations and signature experiences — a near-identical product positioning to Authentic Vacations' Small Guided Vacations line.
- Tauck: Tauck is a family-owned premium guided-tour and small-ship cruise operator offering upscale European and Britain/Scotland itineraries with included experiences, comparable to Authentic Vacations' premium guided and expedition cruise expansion.
- CIE Tours International: CIE Tours is one of the largest Ireland- and UK-specialist tour operators in North America, offering custom FIT packages, small guided group tours, and themed itineraries that directly overlap with Authentic Vacations' core Ireland and Scotland product lines.
- Globus / Cosmos Tourama family of brands: Globus, Cosmos, and Monograms offer guided vacations and independent travel packages across Europe including Ireland, Scotland, and Italy, competing in the same category tiers as Authentic Vacations.
- Lindblad Expeditions: Lindblad Expeditions offers small-ship expedition cruises with naturalist guides in Arctic, Antarctic, and European waters. Its Iceland and Scotland expeditions compete directly with Authentic Vacations' new expedition cruise offering.
- Brendan Vacations: Brendan Vacations specializes in Ireland and Scotland guided vacations, small group tours, and custom FIT packages, serving a similar luxury-leaning North American traveler with similar themed content (castles, heritage, scenic routes).
- Kensington Tours: Kensington Tours designs fully custom, high-end private FIT itineraries worldwide with destination experts and 24/7 in-country support — overlapping directly with Authentic Vacations' Custom Vacation Packages and in-destination support model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Authentic Vacations social profiles
Digital presenceAuthentic Vacations financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Authentic Vacations leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Authentic Vacations funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Authentic Vacations 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 Authentic Vacations
What does Authentic Vacations do?
Authentic Vacations designs and sells customized vacation packages and themed tours to 35+ destinations including Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Italy, Iceland, Scandinavia, Australia, and New Zealand. Offerings span self-drive, private chauffeur, small guided group tours (max 18 passengers), and 2027 expedition cruises. Customers can book via a Trip Planner App, toll-free phone sales, or through a network of registered travel advisors.
Is Authentic Vacations a public or private company?
Authentic Vacations is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Authentic Vacations founded?
Authentic Vacations was founded in 2001. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Authentic Vacations based?
Authentic Vacations is headquartered in Scottsdale, United States, in the North America region.
How does Authentic Vacations make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Tour Package Sales are the primary driver. The others are expedition Cruises and travel Advisor Commissions.
Who are Authentic Vacations's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Rabbie's Small Group Tours, Hurtigruten Group, Trafalgar (Travel Corporation), Insight Vacations, Tauck, CIE Tours International, Globus / Cosmos Tourama family of brands, Lindblad Expeditions, Brendan Vacations and Kensington Tours.
Does Authentic Vacations have an API?
No public API is recorded for Authentic Vacations.
What industry is Authentic Vacations in?
Authentic Vacations's product category is Custom Travel and Tour Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKAFAL, Island, Beach & Resort Travel Agencies, with a secondary code of THAEABAH, Luxury Cruise + Land Expedition Operators (Cruise-Tour Programs). Its NAICS code is 561520 and its SIC code is 7900.