Welcome Holidays

What Welcome Holidays does

Welcome Holidays is an independently owned Greek inbound tourism enterprise founded in 2002 and headquartered in Heraklion, Crete, operating as both an Incoming and Handling Agency and a Wholesaler. The company distributes hotel inventory and ground services to international tour operators, travel agents, and wholesalers, covering over 1,500 contracted properties across 15 main Greek destinations including Athens, Crete, Rhodes, Peloponnese, Chalkidiki, Mykonos, Lesvos, Kos, and Santorini. Its core product portfolio spans transfers (own fleet of EU-compliant buses), excursions, car rental, cruise ground handling, accommodation distribution, MICE services (meetings, incentives, conferences), medical tourism, special interest holidays, and property leasing and management under the broader Welcome Group of Companies. The company serves a B2B customer base via its own online reservations system (IBE), XML API integration, white label solutions, custom XML feeds, and extranet feeding, with a stated 24/7/365 operating model and an affiliated office in Athens.

Underlying technology centers on an autonomous B2B booking platform with high-performance XML API integration that partners use to export availability, pricing, hotel descriptions, and images, supplemented by white label options, custom XML feeds, and integration with Global Distribution Systems and the TravelgateX distribution platform. Distribution is enabled through both self-serve online channels (the B2B platform at bookings.welcomeholidays.gr and a separate customer login portal at bedbank.gr) and traditional channel relationships including tour operator representation agreements. Revenue is generated through transaction fees on hotel inventory distribution, professional services fees for tour operator representation and ground handling, managed services revenue from property leasing and management, and ancillary fees from car rental, excursions, and MICE contracts; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is structured through quote-based B2B arrangements. Post-COVID confirmed bookings grew over 50% versus the equivalent 2019 period, and the company has actively diversified into medical tourism and real estate while expanding international buyer networks into France, Spain, Italy, and Turkey.

Name

Welcome Holidays

Legal name

Welcome Holidays

Website

https://welcomeholidays.gr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Welcome Holidays is a Greek inbound tourism enterprise founded in 2002 that distributes over 1,500 contracted hotel properties and ground services across 15 Greek destinations to international tour operators, travel agents, and wholesalers via its B2B XML platform, with additional MICE, medical tourism, and property leasing operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Agency and Destination Management Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Travel Agencies (561510), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation (487)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Island, Beach & Resort Travel Agencies (THAKAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Escorted Coach & Bus Package Tour Operators (THAKADAA)

Keywords

• Incoming tourism services
• Hotel distribution
• Destination management
• B2B travel platform
• Ground handling services

Headquarters

HQ city

Heraklion

HQ country

Greece

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hotel Inventory Distribution: Welcome Holidays offers hotel inventories and services of over 1500 properties to worldwide Tour Operators, Travel Agents, and Wholesalers. Revenue is generated through commissions and service fees from facilitating bookings across their contracted accommodation portfolio.
2. Tour Operator Representation Services: Services including contracting, reservations, transfers, excursions, car rental, theme events, yield management, groups & incentives, business travel, conferences, special interest packages and ground handling services for cruises.
3. Ground Handling Services: Meet and greet, transfers, luggage handling, check-in services, and excursion programs for cruise ships and tour groups arriving in Crete.
4. Property Leasing & Management: Real estate services including plot selling, construction, and hotel property leasing or management, creating a new business segment within the Welcome Group of Companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Welcome Holidays is a B2B Greek incoming travel agency and wholesaler that contracts hotel inventory across mainland Greece and the Greek islands and distributes it to worldwide tour operators, travel agents, and wholesalers through its own online booking platform with XML connectivity. It also delivers on-the-ground tourism services including transfers, excursions, car rental, cruise ground handling, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences), medical tourism, special-interest holidays, and property leasing/management.

Product overview

Welcome Holidays is an independently owned Greek tourism enterprise operating as both an Incoming and Handling Agency and a Wholesaler. Their product portfolio spans mainland Greece and Greek Islands with services of over 1500 hotel properties. The core offering consists of a B2B platform for tour operators, travel agents, and wholesalers featuring XML API integration, white label solutions, and an online booking system (IBE). Supporting services include Transfers, Excursions, Car Rental, Accommodation, and Cruises Ground Handling. The MICE division provides Meetings & Events, Incentives, and Conference services. Specialty offerings include Tour Operator Representation, Property Leasing & Management, Medical Tourism, and Special Interest Holidays such as Fly and Drive, Round Trips, Family Holidays, and Spa Holidays. The company also offers offline collaboration through seasonal contracts as PDF files and email-based special offer updates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Transfers Airport meet-and-greet and ground transfer services using an in-house fleet of luxury air-conditioned buses ranging from 15-seat minibuses to 65-seater coaches compliant with EU regulations. Provided to tour operators, travel agents, and group/cruise clients arriving in Greek destinations.
• Excursions Comprehensive excursion programs including historic cultural tours, safaris, island hopping, and deep-sea diving, available in group or private capacity and in all major languages, sold to tour operators and travel agents for their end clients.
• Car Rental Car rental services with airport delivery, new vehicles, 24/7 road assistance, budget and economy options, and unlimited kilometers, offered to tour operators and end travelers through partner channels.
• Accommodation Distribution of over 1500 directly contracted Greek hotel properties including city hotels, family hotels, adult-only hotels, traditional and modern accommodations, luxury properties, self-catering apartments, and farmhouses across mainland Greece and the Greek islands.
• Meetings & Events Full-service meetings and events management including concept development, implementation, technical support, corporate meetings, healthcare meetings, brand experiences, virtual and hybrid experiences, galas, and product launches for corporate clients.
• Incentives Incentive travel program design and management including project management, on-site registration, accommodation services, transportation logistics, team building, and corporate celebrations for corporate incentive groups.
• Conference Professional conference planning and execution including project management, destination management, hotel accommodation, registration, events planning, sponsoring, marketing, and digital/hybrid transformation for conference organizers.
• Tour Operator Representation Acting as the official in-destination representative for international tour operators, providing hotel contracting, reservations management, transfers, meet-and-greet, excursions, and welcome offices with in-resort teams in Greece.
• B2B Platform Own autonomous online B2B reservation system with XML connectivity, white-label options, custom XML feeds, and 24/7/365 access to contracted hotel inventory for tour operators, travel agents, and wholesalers.
• Property Leasing & Management Real estate services including plot selling, construction, hotel property leasing and management, and investment opportunities in Greek hospitality assets under the broader Welcome Group of Companies.
• Medical Tourism Medical tourism services including dental health, gynecological check-ups, IVF/egg donation, cosmetic treatments, thermal springs, orthopedics, and cardiac care delivered in partnership with qualified doctors and major hospitals in Greece.
• Special Interest Holidays Specialized holiday programs including Fly and Drive, Round Trips, Family Holidays, Spa Holidays, and Educational Programs assembled and distributed through tour operators and travel agents.
• Cruises Ground Handling Full cruise ship handling services including meet-and-greet, transfers, luggage handling, check-in, and shore excursion programs for cruise lines and tour groups arriving in Crete.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50% growth in confirmed bookings post-COVID compared to same period in 2019

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TravelgateXcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021Welcome Holidays partnered with TravelgateX to promote direct contracts to additional networks and help new potential partners and buyers access competitive rates from a variety of accommodation types. TravelgateX assists in creating larger and stronger distribution channels.
• Thalasso No1 / O VoyagescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 19 May 2018Welcome Holidays serves as the official representative of Thalasso No1 / O Voyages in Crete. Thalasso is one of the strongest players in the French travel market with over 12 years presence in the Greek tourism market. Welcome Holidays organized familiarization visits hosting 95 French travel agents in Crete to showcase tourism programs.
• Connection (London-based marketing company)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2018Co-organized a conference on 'corporate well-being' and luxury tourism in Crete. Connection is a London-based marketing company that partnered with Welcome Holidays and Out of the Blue Capsis hotel for the event.
• Greek National Tourism OrganisationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Supported the corporate well-being and luxury tourism conference in Crete as a sponsoring organization.
• ABATON Hotel (Kaloutsakis family)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Co-organized the conference in Crete with Welcome Holidays and Connection. The hotel operates in the Hersonissos area and is part of the Kaloutsakis family business.
• Out of the Blue Capsis Elite ResortminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Hosted the corporate well-being and luxury tourism conference in Ag.Pelagia, Crete, sponsored by Welcome Holidays.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Viator (Tripadvisor): Viator is a global marketplace for tours, excursions, and activities — comparable to Welcome Holidays' excursions and shore excursion programs business line serving inbound travelers in Greece.
• GetYourGuide: GetYourGuide is a leading online marketplace for tours, attractions, and excursions — directly comparable to Welcome Holidays' excursion distribution and ground handling offerings for inbound tourists.

Direct peers

• TourRadar: TourRadar is a B2B/B2C tour operator marketplace connecting multi-day tour operators with global customers, similar to how Welcome Holidays connects international tour operators with Greek ground suppliers and hotel inventory.
• Intrepid Travel: Intrepid Travel is a global tour operator specializing in small-group and experiential travel across multiple destinations — directly comparable to Welcome Holidays' multi-day tour packages, round trips, and special interest holiday offerings in Greece.
• HotelBeds (HBX Group): HotelBeds is the world's largest B2B bedbank, distributing hotel inventory to tour operators and travel agents worldwide via XML connectivity — directly comparable to Welcome Holidays' B2B accommodation distribution model with API/white-label feed infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Booking Holdings: Booking Holdings operates Booking.com, the largest online accommodation platform, providing Greek hotel distribution to global travelers — a broader incumbent in the same accommodation distribution space where Welcome Holidays operates its B2B channel.
• TUI Group: TUI is one of the world's largest integrated tour operators and hoteliers, offering package holidays, cruises, and destination services across the Mediterranean — overlapping with Welcome Holidays' core tour operator representation and accommodation distribution for Greece.

Regional players

• Mitsis Hotels & Travel: Mitsis is a major Greek hotel group that also offers travel services. As a regional player, it competes with Welcome Holidays in the Greek accommodation and inbound tourism market, particularly for premium Greek island destinations.
• Gatsios Travel: Gatsios Travel is a Greek incoming tour operator and DMC providing accommodation, transfers, and excursions across Greece — a direct regional competitor to Welcome Holidays in the B2B inbound tourism market.
• Olympia Travel (Greek DMC): Olympia Travel is an established Greek destination management company offering accommodation, transfers, and tour operator services, similar to Welcome Holidays' DMC and incoming agency model across mainland Greece and the islands.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/welcomeholidaysGR

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 Welcome Holidays