Globus Tours

What Globus Tours does

Globus Tours (legal entity International Holidays Ltd) is the New Zealand-incorporated operating subsidiary of the privately held, family-owned Globus family of brands, founded in 1928 by Antonio Mantegazza in Switzerland. The company sells first-class escorted tour packages, river cruises, and budget touring holidays across 6 continents and 80+ countries under three wholly-owned brands: Globus (premium escorted tours), Cosmos (value-oriented escorted tours), and Avalon Waterways (river cruises). Its offering includes 740+ holidays with multiple travel styles — Classic, Small Group Discovery (averaging 15 guests in Europe, 18 worldwide), Independent City Stays, Globus Escapes, Undiscovered, Religious, Rail, Cruise & Tour, Special Event, and Private tours — supported by Globus Choice Excursions on approximately 80% of Europe and North America tours and three mobile applications (GlobusGO, CosmosGO, AvalonGO).

The company runs a hybrid direct-to-consumer and travel-agent distribution model, with online booking via globustours.co.nz, a call center (0800 000 883), and a dedicated agent portal and reservations line (0800 456 287). Pricing follows a unit-pricing model with per-person tour pricing (range $2,073-$16,695 NZD depending on itinerary length and tier), deposits of $500-$750 NZD per person, and tiered final-payment schedules (60-180 days pre-departure). Multi-channel marketing combines SEO, paid search (Google Ads, Bing), social (Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube), email newsletters, digital eBrochures, and earned media coverage. Headquartered at Level 9, 55 Shortland Street, Auckland, the company operates alongside sibling entities in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and India under the unified Globus family of brands.

Technology infrastructure consists of an online booking platform, SSL/3DES-encrypted payment processing via third-party processors, Google Analytics, and standard digital advertising integrations. The technology stack is conventional for a mature B2C travel operator and shows no disclosed AI/ML, API, or developer-platform capabilities. The business holds no disclosed institutional investors or external funding and has remained family-owned since founding.

Name

Globus Tours

Legal name

International Holidays Ltd

Website

https://globustours.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Globus Tours (International Holidays Ltd) is the New Zealand subsidiary of the family-owned Globus family of brands, selling first-class escorted tours, river cruises, and budget holidays across 80+ countries under the Globus, Cosmos, and Avalon Waterways brands. It serves value-minded leisure travelers via direct booking and travel agent channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Escorted Tour Operator Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land (48711)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Escorted Coach & Bus Package Tour Operators (THAKADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private/Customized Multi-Day Tour Operators (THAKADAC), Group & Small-Group Custom Itinerary Planning (THAKAOAF), Cruise & Land Tour (Cruisetour) Package Operators (THAKADAO)

Keywords

• Guided escorted tours
• River cruises
• Vacation packages
• Tour operator
• Travel agency services

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Escorted Tour Packages: The company sells complete guided tour packages that include transportation, accommodations, expert Tour Directors, Local Guides, hand-picked hotels, and included sightseeing. These are sold as all-inclusive holiday packages across multiple continents.
2. River Cruises (Avalon Waterways): The company distributes Avalon Waterways river cruises as part of the Globus family of brands. Cruises feature Suite Ships with largest staterooms, included shore excursions, and modern amenities.
3. Air-Inclusive Packages: Air reservations available through the company for travel originating from New Zealand, including international flights and intra-trip air, with associated processing fees.
4. Optional Excursions and Add-ons: Optional excursions and experiences available for purchase during tours, provided by independent third-party operators. Additional services include travel protection (SafetyNet Protection), transfers, and travel insurance.
5. Budget Touring (Cosmos): Cosmos brand offers value-minded travelers budget-friendly escorted tours, providing big travel dreams on a budget. Same tour operator expertise at lower price points.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Globus Tours sells first-class escorted tour packages across six continents and 80+ countries under the Globus, Cosmos, and Avalon Waterways brands. Packages include hand-picked hotels, expert Tour Directors, Local Guides, transportation, sightseeing, and many meals, with optional Globus Choice Excursions for customizable day planning on nearly 80% of Europe and North America tours. Pricing is per-person based on double occupancy, with air-inclusive options available for travel originating from New Zealand.

Product overview

Globus Tours operates as a multi-brand travel company offering a comprehensive portfolio of guided vacation experiences across six continents and 80+ countries. The core offering spans three main brands: Globus (first-class escorted tours with full-service inclusions), Cosmos (budget-friendly touring), and Avalon Waterways (river cruises). The portfolio includes diverse travel styles—Classic fully-guided tours, Small Group Discovery tours (averaging 15-18 guests), Independent flexible stays, Escapes off-season touring, Undiscovered off-beaten-path experiences, plus specialized Religious Tours, Rail Tours, Cruise & Tour combinations, Special Event Tours, and Private Tours. Key features include Globus Choice Excursions (customization on 80% of Europe/North America tours) and mobile apps (Globus GO, CosmosGO, AvalonGO) for on-trip support. With nearly a century of experience since 1928, the company provides over 740 holidays across 80 countries with Tour Directors, Local Guides, hand-picked accommodations, VIP access, and seamless transportation as core service components.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cosmos: Value-oriented escorted tours for budget-minded travellers who prioritize experiences over luxury amenities.
• Avalon Waterways

Products and services

• Globus Escorted Tours The flagship Globus brand offering first-class escorted tours with expert Tour Directors, Local Guides, hand-picked hotels, VIP access to attractions, seamless transportation, and rare Local Favorites experiences across Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Africa. Targeted at value-minded travel enthusiasts who prefer hand-selected inclusions and world-class experiences.
• Cosmos Tours Budget-friendly touring brand offering value-minded travelers essential escorted tour inclusions at lower price points, backed by nearly a century of Globus travel expertise. Targeted at travelers seeking big travel dreams on a budget with same tour operator expertise.
• Avalon Waterways River Cruises River cruise holidays featuring award-winning Suite Ships with the largest staterooms, most modern amenities, and included shore excursions. Cruising through Europe, Asia, South America, and Egypt with fewer passengers, more choices, and elevated onboard experience.
• Classic Tours Signature fully-guided touring style with all arrangements made—iconic sights, curated experiences, and stress-free structure for travelers wanting maximum depth with minimum planning. Includes regional Tour Directors, Local Guides, hand-picked hotels, and VIP access.
• Small Group Discovery Tours Intimate touring experience designed for an average of 15 guests in Europe (18 worldwide), with itineraries built from the ground up for intimacy, access, and deeper immersion into destinations. Offers freedom, more room to roam, and built-in free time within a guided framework.
• Independent City Stays & Tours Flexible touring option with hotels, transportation, and support built in while travelers explore at their own pace—offering independence with a safety net for self-directed exploration in cities.
• Globus Escapes Off-season touring style featuring smaller crowds, bigger savings, cooler temperatures, and more value. 5-9 day tours targeting travelers wanting to see iconic European and global destinations without peak-season prices or crowds. Single supplement waived on select Escapes Europe vacations.
• Undiscovered Tours Off-the-beaten-path touring taking travelers beyond guidebooks into backstreets, hidden gems, and local surprises for lesser-known destinations and meaningful local connections.
• Religious Tours Spiritually enriching pilgrimages and faith-based travel experiences walking in footsteps of history through powerful destinations of devotion across the Holy Land, Europe, and beyond.
• Rail Tours Scenic, stress-free rail vacation experiences where the journey is as compelling as the destination—putting the world in widescreen between iconic stops without driving logistics or parking concerns.
• Cruise & Tour Holidays Combined land and water experiences pairing guided tour discoveries with cruise relaxation, offering the depth of touring plus the unwind of sailing for travelers wanting both experiences.
• Special Event Tours Timed around once-in-a-lifetime events and celebrations, offering access to exclusive experiences without the planning stress—delivering big moments without logistics.
• Private Tours Personalized guided experiences designed exclusively for individual groups, combining the benefits of expert guidance with private, customized itineraries for families and friend groups.

Quantifiable outcome

• Small group tours average only 15 guests in Europe and 18 worldwide
• +1 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Avalon WaterwayscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAvalon Waterways is part of the Globus family of brands, offering river cruise holidays across Europe, South America, and Egypt. Features award-winning Suite Ships with the largest staterooms, modern amenities, and included shore excursions. Distributed alongside Globus escorted tours as part of comprehensive travel packages.
• CosmoscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCosmos is part of the Globus family of brands, offering budget-minded escorted tours for value-conscious travelers. Backed by nearly a century of Globus travel expertise, Cosmos provides big travel dreams on a budget. Distributed through same channels as Globus.
• Rocky MountaineercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRocky Mountaineer is featured as part of select Globus Canada tours including 'Spirit of the Rockies with Rocky Mountaineer'. Provides scenic rail experiences through Canadian Rockies, combining luxury train travel with Globus guided touring.
• Holland America Cruise LineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHolland America is partnered for cruise portions of select Globus tours. Minimum age requirement of 21 for passengers. Subject to specific deposit and payment terms in Globus booking system.
• Variety CruisesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVariety Cruises partnered for select cruise offerings within Globus tour itineraries. Subject to 90-day final payment terms.
• International Airlines and Air CarrierscoreOthersAll airlines are independent from Globus; the company does not own, manage or operate any air carrier. Air tickets are contracts between the passenger and the air carrier. Globus arranges air reservations for travel originating from New Zealand.
• UNICEF Australia PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobus family of brands has partnership with UNICEF Australia as part of Globus Cares sustainability initiatives, supporting global community impact programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• G Adventures: G Adventures is a small-group guided tour operator with a focus on local experiences and responsible travel across 100+ countries. It competes with Globus's Small Group Discovery and Undiscovered Tours for younger, experience-led guided travelers.
• Intrepid Travel: Intrepid Travel runs small-group adventure tours worldwide with a strong sustainable-travel positioning. It overlaps with Globus's Small Group Discovery and Undiscovered tour styles for travelers seeking more active, locally-immersive guided experiences.

Direct peers

• Contiki: Contiki operates escorted multi-day tours aimed at 18-35 year-old travelers across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. It is a direct peer to Globus's escorted touring product, differentiated mainly by age cohort and trip style.
• Tauck: Tauck is a family-owned premium escorted tour and small-ship cruise operator with itineraries across Europe, North America, Africa, Asia and South America. It is a premium-positioning peer to Globus, including overlap on combined land-and-river cruise experiences via Tauck's river partnerships.
• Collette Tours: Collette is a family-owned, multi-generational escorted tour operator with global itineraries and a strong North American customer base. It is a directly comparable escorted multi-day tour peer to Globus on product, distribution, and family-owned structure.
• Trafalgar Tours: Trafalgar is one of the largest escorted multi-day tour operators globally, offering guided coach tours across Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. It directly competes with Globus on premium escorted touring itineraries, travel styles, and travel-agent distribution.
• Insight Vacations: Insight Vacations is a premium escorted tour operator owned by The Travel Corporation (same parent as Trafalgar). It overlaps with Globus's premium guided-tour offering, including small-group formats and Choice-style optional experiences on Europe and North America itineraries.
• Cosmos Tourama: Cosmos is Globus's own value-tier sub-brand in some markets, but the standalone Cosmos Tours North America entity is positioned as a value escorted tour operator. It is a direct price-tier peer to Globus's premium escorted tours.
• Avalon Waterways (independent brand entity): Avalon Waterways is both a Globus sub-brand and a standalone river cruise operator with Suite Ships in Europe, Asia, South America and Egypt. As a stand-alone brand, it competes head-on with other river cruise lines for similar premium river-cruise customers.

Broad incumbents

• Viking Cruises: Viking is the dominant premium river and ocean cruise operator globally and a broad incumbent in guided cruise-plus-land experiences. It is a relevant peer for Avalon Waterways inside the Globus portfolio and for Globus's Cruise & Tour combinations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@GfobAsiaPacific

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 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 Globus Tours