Ticket to Ride

What Ticket to Ride does

Ticket to Ride is a UK-registered, founder-owned adventure travel operator (legal entity Ticket to Ride Limited, company number 05670921, headquartered in Exeter) that has been running surf, snowboard, ski, and cycling experiences since 2005. The core product is all-inclusive, multi-week packages that combine accommodation, transport, coaching, activities, and (in flagship programs) accredited qualifications such as the ISA Level 1 Surf Instructor and ILS Water Safety Award, with the 31-week Epic Gap Year (Sri Lanka, South Africa, Mozambique, priced up to £12,995) representing the highest-value offering. The company serves a segmented customer base spanning gap year students aged 18–25 seeking instructor career pathways, active adults 25–45 on sabbaticals or career breaks, women-only travelers, school and corporate groups, and snow sports enthusiasts, sold exclusively direct-to-consumer via its website with deposit and installment payment plans, WhatsApp and live chat support, and a content-led acquisition engine across Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.

The business runs on a high-AOV, one-time package revenue model with low-friction entry (£95 non-refundable deposit) and steep cancellation penalties (90–100% within 14 days of departure), supplemented by a subscription-style Sri Lanka Surf House stay product (25% deposit plus 6-week balance) and likely referral commission from the World Nomads travel insurance partnership. The technology layer is a conventional D2C booking platform (tickettoridegroup.com) with live chat, an info-pack lead magnet, and direct WhatsApp/phone support; surf coaching incorporates daily video analysis as a human-led learning tool rather than an algorithmic system. Underlying delivery relies on owned accommodation in two anchor markets — the Sri Lanka Surf House in Ahangama and the Mountain Lodge plus two chalets in Meribel — combined with in-destination partnerships (Akiri Surf Retreat in the Maldives, SOL Resort in Morocco, Lake Louise Snowsports School in Banff) and credentialing arrangements with the International Surfing Association.

Operationally, the company delivers year-round dual-season capacity across 12+ countries: a Southern Hemisphere/equatorial surf season in South Africa, Mozambique, Indonesia, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Morocco, Spain, and Costa Rica, followed by Northern Hemisphere ski/snowboard seasons in the French Alps (Meribel), the Canadian Rockies (Banff), and Japan (Niseko). The management team is led by Co-Founders Will Hayler and Linley Lewis, with Lucy Theobald as General Manager, Nikita Robb as Surf Director and Co-Director of the Sri Lanka Surf House, Max Hepworth-Povey as Vibe Director with 15 years in-destination, and David Solomon as Area Manager for South Africa and Indonesia. The company is privately held with no disclosed external funding, operates under ATOL and ABTA financial protection, and reports no app, no API, and no public patents or trademarks beyond brand identity.

Name

Ticket to Ride

Legal name

Ticket to Ride Limited

Website

https://tickettoridegroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ticket to Ride is a UK-founded (2005), founder-owned adventure travel operator running all-inclusive surf, ski, snowboard, and cycling experiences across 12+ countries, with owned surf and mountain accommodation and ISA-accredited instructor qualifications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adventure Travel Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (487210)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Activity Adventure Tour Operators (Mixed itineraries) (THAAADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Surf, Kitesurf & Wind Sports Adventures (THAJABAK), Off-Road & Overland Adventure Tour Operators (4x4, ATV/UTV) (THAAADAF), Surfing & Kitesurfing Experiences (Lessons, Camps) (THAJAJAJ), Water & Marine Guiding Services (Kayak, Canoe, Raft, SUP, Sailing) (THAAALAB)

Keywords

• Adventure travel packages
• Surf instructor courses
• Ski snowboard camps
• Gap year programs
• Surf house accommodation

Headquarters

HQ city

Exeter

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Adventure Travel Packages: All-inclusive package tours combining accommodation, transport, coaching, activities and some meals. Revenue is generated from the full trip price charged to customers, with deposits and installment payments collected upfront. Trip prices range from approximately £95 deposit to £12,995 for multi-month programs.
2. Surf Accommodation (Surf House): Stay-at Surf House model for Sri Lanka, offering shared or private room accommodation with surf coaching access. Operates on a 25% non-refundable deposit + balance paid 6 weeks prior to arrival model.
3. Surf Instructor Qualification: ISA Level 1 Surf Instructor and ILS Water Safety Award courses embedded within longer programs. Customers pay for full trip price and receive qualifications as part of the package.
4. Travel Insurance Partnership: Partnered with World Nomads to offer travel insurance. Customers are required to have insurance (compulsory per booking terms). Commission or referral fee likely earned through this partnership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Ticket to Ride operates as a direct-to-consumer adventure travel operator, designing and selling all-inclusive surf, snowboard, ski, and cycle packages worldwide. Products combine accommodation, transport, coaching, activities, and (where applicable) ISA Level 1 surf instructor qualifications into single trip bookings, with deposit and split-payment enrollment via the company's own website, WhatsApp, and live chat.

Product overview

Ticket to Ride is an adventure travel operator offering a diverse portfolio of experiential travel products centered around surfing, snowboarding, skiing, and cycling. The core offering consists of Surf Camps (training programs with coaching and accommodation), Surf Adventures (multi-destination surf trips), and Surf Instructor Courses (ISA-certified professional training). Supporting these are Surf Houses (owned accommodation properties like the Sri Lanka Surf House) and snowboard/ski programs in European and North American resorts. The Snowboard division offers Camps, Performance Courses, Freestyle training, and Group Trips primarily based in Meribel, France; Banff, Canada; and Niseko, Japan. Ski products include performance courses, touring, heli-skiing, and corporate/school bookings. Cycle Holidays and custom group booking services round out the portfolio. The company operates accommodation properties including the Mountain Lodge and Chalets in Meribel, with partnerships extending to surf houses in Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Indonesia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TTR Mountain Lodge: Chalet-style accommodation in Meribel Centre offering catering and comforts with social ambiance
• Chalet Leopold
• Chalet L'Arclusaz
• Ticket to Ride Surf House

Products and services

• Surf Camps Specialist surf training programs combining professional coaching, accommodation, and travel experiences for surfers of all skill levels from beginner to advanced.
• Surf Adventures Adventure-focused surf trips taking participants to remote and off-the-beaten-track surfing destinations worldwide, with all-inclusive accommodation, coaching, and transport.
• Surf Instructor Courses Professional surf instructor training programs combining adventure travel with ISA Level 1 Surf Instructor certification and ILS Water Safety awards, qualifying participants to work as instructors globally.
• Snowboard Courses Snowboard training programs including camps, performance courses, freestyle training, and instructor courses delivered in Meribel (France), Banff (Canada), and Niseko (Japan).
• Ski Courses Ski instruction programs covering performance courses, ski touring, heli-skiing, freestyle skiing, and group or corporate ski trips.
• Cycle Holidays Cycling adventure holidays combining road cycling and mountain biking with surf experiences in destinations like France and Spain.
• The Epic Gap Year A flagship 31-week gap year program combining surf training, ISA Level 1 instructor certification, an apprenticeship, and a 3,000km African road trip across Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Mozambique.
• 13 Week Ultimate Road Trip & Surf Instructor Course An intensive 13-week surf instructor program combining adventure travel through South Africa and Mozambique with professional surf coaching qualifications.
• Sri Lanka x Maldives Surf Trip A combined 2-week surf experience split between Sri Lanka's South West Coast and Thulusdoo Island in the Maldives, featuring surf coaching and island exploration.
• Ladies Only Maldives Trip A female-only surf experience based at the partner Akiri Surf Retreat on Thulusdoo Island in the Maldives, led by professional surf coach Nikita Robb.
• Sri Lanka Surf House Owned surf accommodation property in Ahangama, Sri Lanka, featuring rooms, rooftop bar, and proximity to surf breaks, with optional surf coaching access on a 25% deposit plus balance due 6 weeks prior booking model.
• Mountain Lodge (Meribel) Flagship catered chalet accommodation in Meribel Centre, featuring en-suite rooms, hot tub, sauna, and media room for snowboard and ski guests.
• Chalet L'Arclusaz Flagship catered chalet in Meribel Mottaret with 5 bedrooms, sauna, hot tub, and 4-course dinners with wine, accommodating groups of 10–15.
• Chalet Leopold Self-catered chalet in Meribel Mottaret accommodating up to 9 guests, featuring Apple TV and WiFi.
• Group & Corporate Bookings Tailor-made group booking services for corporate ski trips, school ski adventures, and custom group surf holidays for 10+ people, with flexible payment options.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% surf instructor qualification pass rate
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• World NomadscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWorld Nomads is Ticket to Ride's preferred and recommended travel insurance provider for all customers. They have partnered to provide specialist adventure travel insurance covering surfing, snowboarding, bungee jumping, safari tours, heli-boarding, and other covered activities. The partnership includes trip curtailment cover up to £5,000 under Explorer Cover. Ticket to Ride advises all customers to purchase appropriate insurance and provides a direct link to World Nomads quote finder.
• STA TravelminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSTA Travel is offered as a flight booking partner at the point of booking on the Ticket to Ride website. Customers booking trips are offered the option to receive a flight quote from STA Travel during the checkout/booking process.
• Akiri Surf RetreatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAkiri Surf Retreat on Thulusdoo Island in the Maldives North Atolls is Ticket to Ride's partner surf house for Maldives surf trips. The partnership provides the accommodation, local surf guiding, and surf instruction for the Maldives portion of trips (Sri Lanka x Maldives and Maldives Surf Trip). Ticket to Ride Trip Leaders accompany groups to the Maldives but work with Akiri's local surf team for wave access and coaching.
• SOL ResortminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSOL Resort in Taghazout, Morocco is the accommodation partner for Ticket to Ride's Morocco surf trips. The eco-friendly beachfront resort provides surf shop, gym, spa, restaurants, and bungalow-style accommodation within walking distance of surf breaks including Anchor Point, La Source, and Panoramas.
• International Surfing Association (ISA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISA (International Surfing Association) is the governing body for surf instruction globally. Ticket to Ride offers ISA Level 1 Surf Instructor qualification as part of its surf instructor programs. The qualification is embedded within the 10-week Sri Lanka Surf Academy and the Epic Gap Year programs, run by Surfing Sri Lanka and held at the Ticket to Ride Surf House in Ahangama.
• Lake Louise Snowsports SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLake Louise Snowsports School in Banff, Canada is the primary ski and snowboard training partner for Ticket to Ride's Canadian operations. Ticket to Ride works uniquely and directly with the school. Graduates of Ticket to Ride courses have a high chance of being hired as instructors at Lake Louise, with approximately 15% of the school's snowboard staff being Ticket to Ride alumni.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Flash Pack: UK-based small-group adventure operator targeting solo professionals in their 30s-40s seeking premium experiential trips. Closely matches Ticket to Ride's 25-45 career-breaker segment and DTC booking model.
• Intrepid Travel: Large global adventure tour operator running small-group experiential trips across 100+ countries. Comparable in product mix (surf, cycle, cultural adventure) and target customer (millennials seeking meaningful travel), but materially larger and publicly listed.
• Contiki: Youth-focused (18-35) guided travel operator running trips across multiple continents. Directly comparable in target demographic and group-trip delivery model, though Contiki is broader in geography and cultural orientation rather than surf/snow-specific.
• Active Away: UK-based operator of adult tennis, cycling, and ski holidays at premium European resorts. Comparable in adult skill-development holiday model and DTC booking approach; partial overlap on ski instruction.
• G Adventures: Canada-based adventure tour operator offering small-group trips worldwide. Closely comparable in adventure-led, experience-driven model, though G Adventures has broader geographic coverage and a larger scale operator network.
• Much Better Adventures: UK-based adventure travel marketplace and operator running small-group weekends and trips in Europe and beyond. Comparable in target customer, UK base, and adventure-first product mix, though more activity-focused (hiking, climbing) than surf/snow.
• STA Travel / StudentUniverse: Student and youth-focused travel booking platform historically partnered with Ticket to Ride for flights. Comparable in gap-year/student audience and global booking infrastructure; competes for the same discretionary-spend youth segment.
• Discover Corps: US-based operator of family and gap-year 'meaningful travel' programs combining adventure with skill-building. Comparable in premium gap-year positioning and outcome-oriented trip design, though more volunteer-focused than surf/snow-led.
• Soul & Surf: Sri Lanka-based surf-and-yoga retreat operator. Direct overlap with Ticket to Ride's Sri Lanka Surf House product, similar boutique surf retreat positioning, and overlapping female-only / yoga-bundled surf experience market.

Others

• World Nomads: Adventure travel insurance provider and ecosystem partner. Currently Ticket to Ride's recommended insurance partner; adjacent rather than competitive but a key commercial relationship and a category leader that increasingly cross-sells experiences.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ttrlifesgood
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TicketToRideGroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/tickettoridegroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/tickettoridegroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tickettoridegroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Ticket to Ride