What Rainbow Tours does

Rainbow Tours, trading as a brand of International Travel Connections Limited, is a UK-based specialist tour operator founded in 1997 that designs and sells tailor-made wildlife and nature holidays to Africa, Latin America, and Madagascar, with the company claiming market leadership as the UK's leading tour operator for Madagascar. The core product set consists of bespoke tailor-made itineraries (priced at roughly £3,000-£27,000+ per person depending on tier) and small group tours with set departures of 4-12 participants, spanning safari, wildlife observation, beach combinations, honeymoons, and family holidays across more than 30 destinations including Botswana, Kenya, Madagascar, Peru, the Galapagos, and Antarctica.

The operating model is consultative and sales-led: customers submit enquiries through the rainbowtours.co.uk website or by phone and are handled by Travel Specialists who have lived in their specialist regions for a combined 93 years, producing personalised quotes that bundle international flights, accommodation, transfers, activities, and park fees. There is no proprietary technology platform, no mobile app, and no third-party distribution; all sales are direct. Marketing relies on destination content, a blog, SEO, email newsletters, and Trustpilot reviews, with ATOL, ABTA, IATA, and LATA certifications functioning as trust signals.

Rainbow Tours is a subsidiary brand within ITC Travel Group, alongside Inspiring Travel, Regent, and Spectate Travel, with the legal entity registered in England (No. 01030986) and headquartered at Bridgetown House, 80 Lower Bridge Street, Chester. The company reports 11-50 employees, holds no disclosed funding, and operates without any disclosed revenue figure. Recent strategic activity includes a partnership with Money for Madagascar and geographic expansion into Antarctica and a Rest of World category covering Borneo, Canada, India, and Sri Lanka.

Name

Rainbow Tours

Legal name

International Travel Connections Limited

Website

https://rainbowtours.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rainbow Tours is a UK specialist tour operator, founded in 1997 and part of ITC Travel Group, that designs and sells tailor-made wildlife holidays and small group tours to Africa, Latin America, and Madagascar for affluent individual travellers, couples, and families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tour Operator Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Adventure & Expedition Multi-Day Tour Operators (THAKADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Polar & Remote-Destination Expedition Tour Operators (THAKADAM), Safari & Wildlife Adventure Tour Operators (Land-Based) (THAAADAD), Adventure & Expedition Travel Agencies (THAKAFAB)

Keywords

• Wildlife safaris
• Tailor-made holidays
• Small group tours
• Africa tours
• Adventure travel

Headquarters

HQ city

Chester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Package Holiday Sales: Rainbow Tours designs and sells tailor-made holiday packages to Africa, Latin America, and Madagascar. Revenue is generated through full package pricing including international flights, accommodation, transfers, activities, and guide services. Pricing is quoted per person with typical trip durations ranging from 6-21 nights, spanning budget tiers from £5,000 to £15,000+.
2. Small Group Tours: The company operates small group tours (maximum 4-12 participants depending on destination) with set departure dates. These provide an alternative to tailor-made holidays for travelers preferring shared expertise and structured itineraries.
3. Professional Services: Revenue includes fees for expert travel planning, 24/7 emergency support during trips, and services of knowledgeable Travel Specialists who have lived in specialist regions. These advisory services are bundled into package pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rainbow Tours is a UK-based tour operator that designs and sells tailor-made wildlife and safari holidays to Africa, Latin America, and Madagascar. Founded in 1997 and operating as a trading name of International Travel Connections Limited within the ITC Travel Group, the company arranges custom itineraries, small-group escorted tours, honeymoons, family trips, and expedition voyages.

Product overview

Rainbow Tours is a UK-based tailor-made travel operator specializing in wildlife and nature-focused holidays. The core offering consists of two main product lines: (1) Tailor-Made Holidays – fully bespoke itineraries where Travel Specialists design personalized trips based on individual customer preferences, and (2) Small Group Tours – pre-planned escorted group departures with limited participant numbers. The portfolio spans two primary regions: Africa (covering Botswana, Madagascar, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, and Zanzibar) and Latin America (covering Peru, Galapagos Islands, Antarctica, Argentina, Brazil, and Chile). Specialty themes include Safari Holidays, Wildlife Holidays, Family Holidays, Honeymoons, Adventure Holidays, and Beach Holidays. The company positions itself as wildlife specialists with Travel Specialists who have lived in their specialist areas for years, and emphasizes responsible tourism with conservation and community partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tailor-Made Holidays
• Small Group Tours
• Safari Holidays
• Wildlife Holidays
• Africa Holidays
• Latin America Holidays
• Madagascar Holidays
• Antarctica Holidays
• Honeymoons
• Family Holidays

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Money for MadagascarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRainbow Tours supports Money for Madagascar, which helps fund community and conservation initiatives. This partnership ensures that holiday bookings contribute to both wildlife protection and the communities who call Madagascar home.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• G Adventures: Global small-group adventure tour operator with strong presence in Africa and Latin America. Comparable small-group tour product and emphasis on local experiences, though broader in audience and price range.
• Exodus Adventure Travels: UK-headquartered adventure tour operator offering small-group escorted trips across Africa, Latin America, and polar regions. Overlaps directly with Rainbow Tours' wildlife and adventure portfolio and similar trip durations.
• Wildlife Worldwide: UK wildlife-focused tour operator specializing in escorted wildlife holidays, safaris, and natural history trips. Highly comparable niche focus on expert-led wildlife encounters across Africa, Latin America, and polar regions.
• Intrepid Travel: Large adventure travel company operating small-group tours worldwide, including Africa and Latin America. Competes for a portion of the wildlife and responsible-travel segment with similar conservation messaging.
• Naturetrek: UK-based wildlife holidays specialist offering guided natural history tours worldwide with expert tour leaders. Closely comparable target market, trip style, and species-focused itineraries for birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts.
• Steppes Travel: UK tailor-made travel company designing bespoke itineraries to Africa, Latin America, and other emerging destinations. Similar specialist advisor model and price points for affluent travelers seeking off-the-beaten-path experiences.
• Audley Travel: UK-based tailor-made travel specialist using a similar country-specialist advisor model to design bespoke itineraries, with comparable pricing and destination focus. Direct competitor for the same affluent UK travelers seeking personalized international trips.
• Explore Worldwide: UK adventure tour operator offering small-group trips worldwide with a presence in Africa and Latin America. Competes in the guided wildlife and adventure segment with similar group sizes and duration.
• Wildfoot Travel: UK specialist in polar and wildlife expeditions including Antarctica, Arctic, and Galapagos. Closely comparable on expedition product, with overlap on the higher-margin polar and Galapagos offerings.

Emerging players

• Responsible Travel: UK-based holiday marketplace curating responsible and sustainable travel operators, including wildlife and safari holidays. Operates as both a competitor and aggregator in the ethical travel space relevant to Rainbow Tours' positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RainbowToursUK
• Facebookfacebook.com/RainbowToursUK

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Rainbow Tours