Friendship Travel

What Friendship Travel does

Friendship Travel is a privately held UK-based tour operator specializing in escorted singles holidays, founded in 1999 (with the corporate entity dated to 2003) and headquartered in Antrim, Northern Ireland. The company sells ATOL-protected package holidays directly to solo travellers through its website, phone reservations, email, live chat, WhatsApp, and printed brochures, offering return flights, accommodation, airport transfers, meals, and on-trip host support. It employs 11-50 people and is led by Managing Director Colum McLornan, with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or institutional ownership.

The product portfolio spans beach, ski, cruise, walking, painting, pottery, reading, sightseeing, luxury, and Christmas/New Year holidays across more than 20 countries in Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia. The core differentiator is the elimination of single supplements on most departures, combined with dedicated Friendship Travel hosts and tour managers who accompany every trip, plus a community forum (singlesholiday.co.uk) where booked travellers connect before departure. Target segments include solo travellers across age cohorts (40s, 50s, 60s, 70s), with average guest ages typically 35-65.

The business model is direct-to-consumer package holiday sales, with prices ranging from approximately £835 (Turkey, 7 nights) to £3,995 (St Lucia BodyHoliday, all-inclusive) per person. The company partners with major airlines (Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Qatar, British Airways as appointed operator) to source flights from 25+ UK and Irish airports, and earns ancillary affiliate revenue from a Holiday Extras partnership for travel insurance, airport parking, and lounges. There is no proprietary technology moat beyond a standard booking platform; the underlying competitive position rests on brand reputation (over 20 years operating, Which? recommended, British Travel Awards), the niche specialization, and the trust associated with the ATOL-protected host-accompanied model.

Name

Friendship Travel

Legal name

Friendship Travel

Website

https://friendshiptravel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Friendship Travel is a privately held UK tour operator that sells ATOL-protected, escorted singles holidays directly to solo travellers, offering flights, accommodation, transfers, and host-accompanied packages across Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia with no single supplements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Escorted Singles Holidays / Solo Travel Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Travel Agencies (561510)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cruise + Guided Land Tour Packages (THAEAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Luxury All-Inclusive Resorts (THAGAKAC), Cruise + Wellness/Spa Retreat Packages (THAEAHAI)

Keywords

• Singles holidays
• Escorted tours
• Solo travel
• Package holidays
• Group travel

Headquarters

HQ city

Antrim

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Package Holiday Sales: The company generates revenue through selling fully escorted singles holiday packages that include return flights, accommodation, airport transfers, meals (breakfast, half board, or all-inclusive), and Friendship Travel host support throughout the trip. Pricing varies by destination, duration, and board basis.
2. Holiday Extras and Add-ons: Revenue generated from ancillary travel services including discounted travel insurance, airport car parking, airport hotels, and airport lounges through Holiday Extras partnership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Friendship Travel sells ATOL-protected escorted singles holiday packages directly to solo travellers. Each package includes return flights, accommodation (in own double/twin room at no single supplement), airport transfers, meals, and an accompanying Friendship Travel host throughout the trip. Destinations span UK and Europe (Greece, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Canary Islands, Cyprus, France, Malta, Portugal) and worldwide (Caribbean, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Bali, Tunisia) across categories such as beach, cruise, ski, walking, painting, reading, luxury, and house party.

Product overview

Friendship Travel operates as an escorted singles holidays specialist, offering a comprehensive portfolio of solo travel packages for mature travelers. The core product consists of escorted group holidays where single travelers share accommodation in hotels, villas, or chalets with like-minded guests, accompanied by Friendship Travel hosts throughout. The company provides holiday packages across multiple categories including beach holidays, cruises, ski holidays, walking tours, painting retreats, and luxury resort stays. Destinations span UK/Europe (Greece, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Portugal, France, Malta, Cyprus, Canary Islands) and worldwide (Caribbean, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Bali, Tunisia). Special demographic offerings include packages for travelers over 40, 50, 60, and 70, as well as house party-style villa accommodation and no single supplement options. Key product variations include standard package holidays, reading holidays, and activity-based trips. The business model centers on ATOL-protected package holidays including flights, accommodation, transfers, meals, and host support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Solo Beach Holidays Escorted beach resort holidays for solo travellers at coastal destinations worldwide, including half-board and all-inclusive options, with no single supplement where possible.
• Solo Cruise Holidays Cruise holidays for single travellers with no single supplements, featuring multi-destination itineraries.
• Solo Ski & Snowboarding Holidays
• Singles Walking Holidays Guided walking tours combining daily walks with social dining and accommodation for solo travellers.
• Painting Holidays Art-focused holidays for solo travellers including workshops and courses at destinations such as Lake Orta, Italy and Zante, Greece.
• Reading Holidays Book-club style reading retreats for solo travellers with literary discussions and guided excursions, run in partnership with Books in Places.
• Luxury Holidays Premium 5-star hotel and resort accommodation for solo travellers including spa resorts such as BodyHoliday in St Lucia.
• Houseparty: Group Holidays for Singles Group villa-style holidays for singles staying in exclusive-use accommodation with like-minded travellers, featuring social dining and activities.
• Sightseeing Holidays Guided tour holidays for solo travellers focused on cultural attractions, historical sites, and excursion-based experiences.
• Christmas & New Year Holidays for Singles Festive period group holidays for solo travellers including special events, meals, and entertainment.
• Late Breaks Last-minute and short-notice holiday deals for solo travellers at discounted prices to fill remaining capacity.
• No Single Supplement Holidays Holidays where solo travellers receive their own room without additional single supplement charges.
• BodyHoliday St Lucia 5/7/10-night all-inclusive holiday at BodyHoliday resort in Castries, St Lucia priced at £3,995.
• Forever Hotel, Oludeniz Turkey 7 or 14-night half-board holiday at Forever Hotel in Fethiye/Oludeniz, Turkey from £835.
• H10 Taburiente Playa, La Palma 7-night all-inclusive holiday at H10 Taburiente Playa in Brena Baja, La Palma, Canary Islands on 30 Jul 26, priced at £1,895.
• Kenya Safari and Beach Holiday 9-night full-board safari and beach holiday departing 19 Sep 26 from £2,955, based in Mombassa, Kenya.
• Painting in Lake Orta, Italy 7-night half-board painting holiday in Novara, Italy on 05 Sep 26 from £1,625.
• Apollo Studios Exclusive, Corfu 7 or 14-night half-board exclusive holiday at Apollo Studios in Corfu, Greece from £1,070.
• Holiday Extras Add-on travel services including discounted travel insurance, airport car parking, airport hotels, and airport lounges offered through a Holiday Extras affiliate partnership.

Quantifiable outcome

• No single supplements charged on most holidays
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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 minor and core.

• Holiday ExtrasminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for discounted travel insurance and pre-bookable airport services including car parking, airport hotels, and airport lounges. Friendship Travel receives referral fees through this affiliate arrangement.
• Civil Aviation Authority (ATOL)coreOthersATOL protection (License 6683) provided by the Civil Aviation Authority, ensuring financial protection for air holidays and flights booked through Friendship Travel.
• British AirwaysminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAppointed operator status with British Airways, enabling access to BA flight inventory and potentially preferred pricing for package holidays.
• Books in PlacesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Books in Places for specialized reading retreat holidays. Paul Wright and team organize book club meetings and literary discussions for Tunisia reading holiday packages.
• Multiple AirlinescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with all major airlines including Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airlines, and low-cost carriers to provide flights from 25+ UK and Irish airports. No own flights operated.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Just You: UK specialist tour operator focused exclusively on solo/singles holidays with escorted group departures and no-single-supplement offerings; the closest direct competitor to Friendship Travel in the same UK niche.
• Solos Holidays: UK singles-only tour operator offering escorted group holidays with hosts and tour managers; directly comparable on product offering, customer segment, and UK/Ireland outbound distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• Travelsphere: UK escorted tour operator offering guided worldwide holidays with solo traveler options; comparable on escorted group tour format and UK customer base, though not singles-specialist.
• Intrepid Travel: Global small-group adventure tour operator with dedicated solo traveler departures; comparable on escorted group tour model and solo traveler accommodation guarantees, though with younger demographic skew.
• Contiki: Group tour operator for 18-35s with built-in social travel design; comparable on escorted group travel format and social-connection value proposition, but opposite demographic focus.
• G Adventures: Global small-group adventure tour operator with 'solo traveler' pricing and room-share matching; comparable on escorted group tours and solo-friendly accommodation logic.
• Saga: Large UK travel company targeting the over-50s demographic with escorted holidays, cruises, and insurance; comparable on mature customer focus and UK outbound market, though operating at much greater scale and breadth.
• Riviera Travel: UK escorted tour and river cruise operator with solo departure options; comparable on guided tour product, mature UK customer base, and escorted travel category.
• Trafalgar: Global guided tour operator offering solo traveler pricing across worldwide itineraries; comparable on escorted guided tour format but operates at much greater scale and broader geography.

Emerging players

• Flash Pack: Solo-friendly small-group adventure tour operator targeting 30-45 professionals; comparable on escorted group tours and solo-traveler accommodation, though with younger demographic and premium positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SinglesHolidays
• Facebookfacebook.com/singlesholiday
• Xx.com/ftholidays
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friendship-travel-limited

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Friendship Travel