American Holidays
American Holidays is an Ireland-based travel agency, founded in 1985, that sells package holidays to North America and the Caribbean through three offices in Dublin, Belfast, and Horsham, serving families and couples in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Great Britain.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersDublin, Ireland
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What American Holidays does
American Holidays is an Ireland-based travel agency specializing in package holidays to North America and adjacent destinations (USA, Canada, Caribbean, Mexico). Founded in 1985 and headquartered in Dublin, the company operates three offices across Ireland (Dublin), Northern Ireland (Belfast), and Great Britain (Horsham), serving consumers in those three jurisdictions. Its core product portfolio comprises flight + hotel + car hire + attraction packages, with strong specialization in Florida theme park holidays (Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando), multi-destination itineraries, road trips, and cruise holidays distributed across at least eight major cruise lines. The company is part of the SHG (Social Holiday Group) parent structure and holds an Irish Aviation Authority travel agent licence (TA0136).
The business operates on a traditional, sales-led model: customers engage with travel specialists via phone, in-person consultations at the three offices, or website quote-request forms, and packages are priced on a transaction basis ranging from approximately €766 to over €2,500 per person. There is no proprietary technology platform, mobile app, or self-service online booking engine described; the technology footprint is a content-heavy website with destination-specific landing pages and an SEO-driven blog. Supplier-side, the company maintains a Preferred Agent relationship with Aer Lingus and distribution partnerships with Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort, and a broad roster of cruise operators. Revenue is generated through commissions and markups on flights, accommodation, theme park tickets, cruise bookings, and ancillary services such as car hire.
The company is privately held with no disclosed funding, no institutional investors, and no M&A activity in the input data. Marketing relies primarily on content marketing, organic search, and a substantial base of 5,987+ published customer reviews, with no evidence of AI/ML deployment, paid advertising dominance, or self-service digital booking. The competitive position rests on brand longevity, multi-jurisdiction physical presence, and access to exclusive Disney and Universal inventory rather than on technology differentiation.
American Holidays firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- American Holidays
- Legal name
- American Holidays
- Website
- https://americanholidays.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- American Holidays is an Ireland-based travel agency, founded in 1985, that sells package holidays to North America and the Caribbean through three offices in Dublin, Belfast, and Horsham, serving families and couples in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Great Britain.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
American Holidays industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Travel Agency Services
- NAICS
- Travel Agencies (561510), Travel Agencies (56151)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Family & Multigenerational Travel Agencies (THAKAFAD)
Keywords
Where American Holidays is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dublin
- HQ country
- Ireland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
American Holidays business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Travel Package Commissions: American Holidays generates revenue through commissions from airline tickets, hotel bookings, cruise reservations, theme park tickets, and activity bookings. They create and sell comprehensive holiday packages that bundle multiple travel services together.
- Holiday Package Sales: Revenue from selling complete holiday packages including flights, accommodation, car hire, and experiences to North American destinations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Package holidays ranging from budget to luxury |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
American Holidays product offering
Product offeringCore offering
American Holidays is a specialist travel agency curating and selling package holidays to North America, including the USA, Canada, the Caribbean, and Mexico. Core offerings bundle flights, accommodation, theme park tickets (Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando), cruises, fly-drive itineraries, and city breaks into single bookable packages served by dedicated travel consultants.
Product overview
American Holidays is a travel agency offering package holidays to North America and beyond. The core offering consists of flight + hotel packages to USA destinations (particularly Florida/Orlando), Canada, Caribbean, and Mexico. The product portfolio includes: (1) USA Holiday Packages as the primary category covering themed sub-products like Florida Holidays and Orlando Theme Park Holidays; (2) Walt Disney World Holidays featuring Disney resort stays and park tickets with free dining promotions; (3) Cruise Holidays across major cruise lines; (4) Multi-Destination Holidays combining city breaks with beach stays or theme parks; (5) Road Trip Packages with car hire and accommodation; (6) Canada and Caribbean/Mexico sun holiday packages. Add-on modules include Orlando Holiday Villas for self-catering accommodation, Theme Park Tickets, Car Hire, and Escorted Tours. The company operates as a traditional travel agency with tailo
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- USA Holidays
Quantifiable outcome
- Price Match Promise - call within 2 hours of finding a more competitive price
Companies that use American Holidays
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
American Holidays technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
American Holidays partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Aer LinguscoreAmerican Holidays is a Preferred Agent for Aer Lingus, indicating a strong commercial relationship for flight bookings. This partnership is prominently displayed on their website footer.
- Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA)coreAmerican Holidays is a member of the Irish Travel Agents Association, TA0136. The ITAA represents and regulates travel agents in Ireland.
- Irish Aviation AuthoritycoreLicensed by the Irish Aviation Authority with license number TA0136. This regulatory licensing is required for operating as a travel agent in Ireland.
- Royal CaribbeanmajorOffers Royal Caribbean cruise packages including Icon of the Seas, Star of the Seas, Legend of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, and Utopia of the Seas itineraries from various US departure ports.
- Disney Cruise LinemajorOffers Disney Cruise Line packages including Bahamas, Caribbean, and transatlantic itineraries combined with Orlando stays.
- Norwegian Cruise LinemajorOffers Norwegian Breakaway cruises including Deep South and Caribbean itineraries departing from New Orleans.
- Princess CruisesmajorOffers Princess Cruises including Alaska and Canadian Rockies itineraries on Emerald Princess.
- MSC CruisesmajorOffers MSC World America and MSC Grandiosa Caribbean cruise packages.
- Virgin VoyagesmajorOffers adult-only Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady cruises combining Las Vegas, Miami, and Caribbean destinations.
- Celebrity CruisesmajorOffers Celebrity Beyond and Celebrity Infinity Mediterranean and Caribbean cruise itineraries.
- Holland America LinemajorOffers Holland America Alaska cruise itineraries.
- Walt Disney WorldcoreOffers Disney World holiday packages including accommodation at Disney resorts, park tickets, and free dining promotions. One of few agencies in Ireland able to book exclusive Disney tickets.
- Universal Orlando ResortcoreOffers Universal Orlando packages including hotels, park tickets, and early park access benefits at Universal properties.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
American Holidays competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Audley Travel: UK-based tailor-made long-haul travel specialist operating on a consultant-led model with destination experts; directly comparable in its reliance on human advisory for complex, multi-component international trips.
- Trailfinders: UK-headquartered long-haul tailor-made travel agency with a similar sales-led, multi-destination specialist model; comparable in advisor-driven delivery and product breadth, though serving a broader long-haul portfolio.
- Virgin Holidays: Long-haul package holiday brand in the UK/Ireland selling flights + hotel + experiences to the Caribbean, USA, and beyond; comparable as a vertically packaged long-haul leisure holiday provider competing for similar customers.
- Travel Department: Ireland-based escorted tour and package-holiday operator selling guided and self-guided trips to North America and beyond; comparable on geography, Irish customer base, and North America holiday focus.
- Tour America: Ireland-based specialist travel agency focused on holidays to the USA and Canada, with a near-identical product mix (Florida, Orlando, theme parks, multi-centre) and overlapping Irish customer base — its closest head-to-head competitor.
- Hayes & Jarvis: UK long-haul tailor-made travel agent specialising in multi-centre itineraries to the Americas, Asia, and Africa; directly comparable in its multi-destination, advisor-led, holiday-package approach.
Broad incumbents
- Expedia: Major global OTA offering flights, hotels, cruises, and vacation packages; competes with American Holidays across the entire package-holiday funnel, especially for self-directed bookers.
- Booking.com: Global OTA dominating online hotel, flight, and package booking; a broad incumbent competing on price transparency and self-service booking that structurally threatens traditional agencies in commoditised segments.
Emerging players
- Travelzoo: Digital travel deals publisher curating discounted package, cruise, and tour offers; comparable as a competitor for deal-driven leisure travellers who might otherwise book through a traditional agent.
Others
- Walt Disney Travel Company: Disney's official direct-booking channel for Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, and Disneyland packages; an adjacent supplier-channel that competes with American Holidays for the same Orlando family holiday demand via direct booking.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
American Holidays social profiles
Digital presenceAmerican Holidays financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
American Holidays leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
American Holidays funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
American Holidays 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 American Holidays
What does American Holidays do?
American Holidays is a specialist travel agency curating and selling package holidays to North America, including the USA, Canada, the Caribbean, and Mexico. Core offerings bundle flights, accommodation, theme park tickets (Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando), cruises, fly-drive itineraries, and city breaks into single bookable packages served by dedicated travel consultants.
Is American Holidays a public or private company?
American Holidays is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was American Holidays founded?
American Holidays was founded in 1985. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is American Holidays based?
American Holidays is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, in the Europe region.
How does American Holidays make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Travel Package Commissions are the primary driver. The others are holiday Package Sales.
Who are American Holidays's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Audley Travel, Trailfinders, Virgin Holidays, Travel Department, Tour America and Hayes & Jarvis. Broad incumbents are Expedia and Booking.com. Travelzoo is listed as an emerging player. Walt Disney Travel Company is listed as an others.
Does American Holidays have an API?
No public API is recorded for American Holidays.
What industry is American Holidays in?
American Holidays's product category is Travel Agency Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKAFAD, Family & Multigenerational Travel Agencies. Its NAICS code is 561510.