What Select Travel does

Select Travel is a UK-based, privately-held retail travel agency founded in 1995 by Naina Mehta and Ian Ford, headquartered at Unit 39, Swan Walk, Horsham, West Sussex. The company arranges tailor-made holidays for individual consumers, with core product categories spanning bespoke itinerary planning, safaris in Africa, ocean cruises, river cruises, and a broad set of travel styles including family, honeymoon, luxury, all-inclusive, beach, rail, ski, spa, and villa holidays. Approximately fifteen destination-specific luxury packages cover Costa Rica, the wider Caribbean, Greece, Dubai, Oman, Italy, the Maldives, Mauritius, Portugal, the Seychelles, South Africa, Spain, and Turkey, with on-sale inventory packaged into a 'Special Offers' module. The operating technology is a content-led enquiry website without online booking functionality, supported by telephone sales and in-store consultations at the Horsham office.

The business operates as an ABTA-regulated retail booking agent (ABTA Member J5529), earning commissions from airlines, hotels, tour operators, and cruise line partners. Customers reach the sales team through destination content pages, a travel-styles blog, customer testimonials, and a dedicated special offers section, with primary personas being families, honeymooners, and luxury travellers plus a general-traveller long tail. Select Travel Ltd is a private limited company with no disclosed parent, no subsidiaries, and no external funding; ownership appears concentrated with the founders, and the 11-50 employee headcount is consistent with a boutique consultancy rather than a scaled retail platform.

The competitive position rests on 25+ years of category presence, established supplier partnerships across every continent, and the ABTA financial-protection credential that reduces customer risk on package and Flight-Plus bookings. There is no proprietary booking technology, no mobile app, and no disclosed AI or data capabilities; expansion has been accomplished through continued addition of destination-specific content and partner relationships rather than through technology investment or external capital.

Name

Select Travel

Legal name

Select Travel Ltd

Website

https://select-travel.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Select Travel is a UK-based, Horsham-headquartered bespoke travel agency founded in 1995 that arranges tailor-made luxury, family, honeymoon, safari, and cruise holidays worldwide, operating as an ABTA-protected retail booking agent earning commission from airlines, hotels, and tour operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Agency Services

NAICS

Travel Agencies (561510), Tour Operators (561520), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury & Premium Leisure Travel Agencies (THAKABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bespoke Multi-Day Itinerary Planning & Custom Tour Design (THAJALAB), Adventure & Expedition Travel Agencies (THAKAFAB), Retail Cruise-Only Travel Agencies (Leisure) (THAKAKAA), Adventure & Active Travel Agencies (THAKABAD)

Keywords

• Tailor-made holidays
• Luxury travel agency
• Safari holiday booking
• Cruise vacation packages
• Bespoke itinerary planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Horsham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Travel Agency Commission: Select Travel operates as a retail booking agent, earning commissions from travel suppliers (airlines, hotels, tour operators). The company arranges bookings and takes a commission on each transaction. They also sell package holidays and flight-plus arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Select Travel is a UK-based, ABTA-accredited travel agency that designs and books personalized international holidays for individual travellers. Its consultants build tailor-made itineraries spanning safaris, ocean and river cruises, family holidays, honeymoons, and luxury resort packages across more than 70 destinations worldwide, earning commission from airlines, hotels, tour operators, and cruise lines.

Product overview

Select Travel is a UK-based travel agency established in 1995, operating as a single unified service rather than a modular platform. The company offers personalized travel planning and booking services centered around tailor-made holidays, with core product categories including Safari Holidays, Ocean Cruise Destinations, River Cruise Destinations, and Travel Styles (encompassing All Inclusive, Beach, Honeymoon, Luxury, Rail, Safari, Ski, Spa, Villa, and Family holidays). The company also provides extensive destination-specific luxury holiday packages spanning Africa, Caribbean, Europe, Indian Ocean, Middle East, and Asia regions, featuring curated accommodations at partner luxury resorts and hotels. Additional services include a Special Offers module for promotional deals and Financial Protection Services backed by ABTA membership for package holiday coverage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tailor-Made Holiday Planning Personalized travel planning service in which experienced consultants create customized itineraries based on individual preferences, interests, and budget requirements. Customers submit enquiries specifying destination, dates, and special requests and receive a bespoke quote and itinerary.
• Safari Holidays Safari experiences including Big Five wildlife viewing, Serengeti migrations, and access to African national parks and game reserves across Botswana, Kenya, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Madagascar, and Tanzania.
• Ocean Cruise Holidays Ocean cruise packages covering global destinations including Africa, Alaska, Antarctica, Caribbean, Mediterranean, Northern Europe, and Pacific routes through partnerships with large, premium, and expedition cruise lines.
• River Cruise Holidays River cruise experiences along major waterways including the Danube, Nile, Rhine, Mekong, Seine, Douro, Mississippi, and Ganges through curated river cruise lines.
• Land-Based Travel Holidays Land-based travel experiences including adventure travel, cultural immersion, and self-drive touring options across various global destinations, organised independently of cruises.
• Luxury Destination Holiday Packages Country-specific luxury holiday packages featuring stays at premium partner resorts, including Costa Rica (eco-tourism, volcano tours), the Caribbean (Anguilla, Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, St Lucia, and others), Greece (Crete, Santorini, Mykonos), Dubai (Burj Al Arab, Atlantis The Palm), Oman, Italy, the Maldives, Mauritius, Portugal, the Seychelles, South Africa, Spain, and Turkey.
• Financial Protection Services ABTA-backed financial protection for package holidays and Flight-Plus bookings, ensuring customer deposits and payments are safeguarded under ABTA Member Number J5529.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AirlinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEstablished partnerships with reputable airlines enabling access to competitive airfares and flight options for customer itineraries.
• HotelscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnerships with hotels worldwide allowing preferential rates, room allocations, and exclusive access for Select Travel clients.
• Local GuidesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of trusted local guides providing authentic destination experiences and on-ground support for customers.
• Tour OperatorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnerships with tour operators enabling access to packaged experiences and curated travel arrangements.
• ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents)coreOthersABTA membership provides financial protection for customers and ensures compliance with industry codes of conduct. Select Travel Ltd is ABTA Member J5529.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• TUI UK: UK's largest mass-market tour operator with broad portfolio spanning package holidays, cruises, and luxury sub-brands. Adjacent incumbent rather than direct peer due to mass-market focus and online-first booking model, but competes for share of UK leisure travel wallet.
• Kuoni (DER Touristik UK): Established UK luxury travel brand now part of DER Touristik, offering long-haul tailor-made holidays, honeymoons, and cruises. Comparable to Select Travel on luxury long-haul focus but operates as a larger, broader-scope incumbent with stronger brand awareness.

Direct peers

• Abercrombie & Kent: Globally recognised luxury and experiential travel company with strong UK presence, specialising in safaris, private journeys, and cultural tours. Directly comparable to Select Travel on safari product, premium experiential positioning, and global destination coverage.
• Elegant Resorts: UK-based luxury tour operator offering tailor-made holidays to the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, and Mediterranean. Directly comparable to Select Travel on luxury hotel portfolio (e.g., One&Only, Four Seasons), honeymoon focus, and UK high-net-worth customer base.
• Steppes Travel: UK-based specialist in wildlife, cultural, and adventure tailor-made travel, with strong safari and expedition portfolios. Comparable to Select Travel on safari product depth, expert-led consultation, and experiential travel positioning.
• ITC Luxury Travel: UK luxury tour operator offering high-end honeymoons, beach holidays, and tailor-made itineraries to long-haul destinations. Comparable to Select Travel in luxury positioning, honeymoon segment focus, and reliance on personal consultation rather than self-service booking.
• Carrier: UK luxury tour operator curating high-end holidays, honeymoons, and villa rentals worldwide. Comparable to Select Travel in luxury premium positioning, multi-destination coverage, and personal consultant-led sales approach.
• Audley Travel: UK specialist tailor-made travel company focused on long-haul destinations including Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Highly comparable to Select Travel through country-specialist consultant model, luxury positioning, and similar customer segments (honeymooners, families, experiential travellers).
• Trailfinders: UK-based, employee-owned travel agency specialising in tailor-made holidays, cruises, and adventure travel worldwide. Closest direct comparable to Select Travel given shared bespoke-service model, multi-destination portfolio, and absence of a self-service booking engine for most products.
• Cazenove+Loyd (Inspiring Travel Company): UK luxury tour operator creating bespoke honeymoons, family holidays, and experiential journeys to Africa, Asia, and the Indian Ocean. Comparable to Select Travel on luxury positioning, multi-generational family segment, and bespoke itinerary model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Select Travel