Hays Travel Independence Group
Hays Travel Independence Group is a UK-based consortium established in 1995 that supports independent travel agents and travel businesses with negotiated supplier commissions, back-office services, and ABTA accreditation while members retain their own brand identities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersSunderland, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Hays Travel Independence Group does
Hays Travel Independence Group is a UK-based travel agent consortium established in 1995 by John and Irene Hays and operated under Hays Travel Limited (registered office: Gilbridge House, Keel Square, Sunderland). The group serves independent travel agents and travel business owners who join as members while retaining their own brand identities, offering access to negotiated supplier commissions, back-office operational support, ABTA accreditation, and commercial arrangements. Its member base spans multiple business models including homeworkers (e.g., Holidays Please since 2005), multi-branch operators (Miles Morgan Travel, 2006), franchise operators (Not Just Travel, 2007), tour operators (Black Tomato, 2010), and app-based businesses (My Kind of Cruise, 2024), with additional members such as Love Holidays, Imagine Cruising, Travel House, and Ocean Holidays.
Revenue is generated through two primary streams: recurring membership/consortium fees paid by member businesses, and a share of supplier commissions negotiated centrally by the group on behalf of members. The go-to-market is recruitment-focused, leveraging a dedicated recruitment team, phone (0800 138 6955) and email ([email protected]) outreach, the dedicated website, and word-of-mouth within the industry community. Marketing channels are primarily organic social (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook) and direct contact.
Strategic activity has been measured and selective. The 2019 acquisition of the Thomas Cook retail portfolio significantly expanded retail reach, and subsequent acquisitions of Just Go & Travel House (2023) and Miles Morgan Travel (2024) demonstrate inorganic appetite alongside organic member onboarding. The group celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2025. No technology platform, mobile app, API, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed in the provided material; the value proposition rests on commercial terms, regulatory accreditation, brand, and operational support rather than technology differentiation.
Hays Travel Independence Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hays Travel Independence Group
- Legal name
- Hays Travel Limited
- Website
- https://haystravelig.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Hays Travel Independence Group is a UK-based consortium established in 1995 that supports independent travel agents and travel businesses with negotiated supplier commissions, back-office services, and ABTA accreditation while members retain their own brand identities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hays Travel Independence Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Travel Agency Consortium Services
- NAICS
- Travel Agencies (561510), Travel Agencies (56151), Other Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services (56159)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fee-Based/Independent Trip Planners (No Booking) (THAKAOAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Small-Group Escorted Tour Operators (THAKADAB)
Keywords
Where Hays Travel Independence Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sunderland
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Hays Travel Independence Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership/Consortium Fees: Independent travel agents and businesses pay to join the Hays Travel Independence Group consortium, gaining access to commercial arrangements, back-office support, ABTA accreditation, and supplier commissions.
- Supplier Commissions: The group negotiates best-in-class supplier commissions on behalf of members, with commissions flowing through the consortium structure.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Hays Travel Independence Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hays Travel Independence Group is a UK travel agent consortium that allows independent travel agents and travel businesses to maintain their own brand identity while gaining access to negotiated supplier commissions, back-office operational support, ABTA accreditation, and technical functionality. Members include homeworkers, multi-branch agencies, franchise operators, tour operators, and app-based travel businesses, with the group charging membership fees and earning commissions on bookings routed through its commercial arrangements.
Product overview
Hays Travel Independence Group is a consortium model — a partnership platform for travel agents — offering members their own independent identity combined with commercial support, back-office operations, and technical functionality. Rather than a single unified software product, the group operates as a network of independently-branded member companies (Holidays Please, Miles Morgan Travel, Not Just Travel, Black Tomato, Love Holidays, Imagine Cruising, Travel House, Just Go & Travel House, My Kind of Cruise, and Ocean Holidays) that join the consortium to benefit from collective supplier commissions, ABTA accreditation, and shared operational infrastructure.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hays Travel Independence Group Consortium Membership Membership offering for independent travel agents and travel businesses that grants access to negotiated supplier commissions, back-office operations support, ABTA accreditation, dedicated business support, and technical functionality while members retain their own independent brand identity. Available to homeworkers, multi-branch agencies, franchise operators, tour operators, and app-based travel businesses across the UK.
Companies that use Hays Travel Independence Group
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Hays Travel Independence Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Hays Travel Independence Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- My Kind of CruiseminorJoined as the first app-based business member in 2024, demonstrating the group's expansion into digital-first travel businesses.
- Ocean HolidaysminorJoined the consortium in 2024 as a holiday-focused member.
- Just Go & Travel HouseminorHays Travel acquired Just Go & Travel House in 2023, integrating the businesses into the group.
- Travel HouseminorJoined the consortium in 2021 as a member travel business.
- Love HolidaysminorJoined the group in 2011 as a member operating in the holiday sector.
- Imagine CruisingminorJoined the group in 2011, specializing in cruise holiday bookings.
- Black TomatocoreJoined as the first tour operator member in 2010, expanding the consortium to include tour operator businesses.
- Miles Morgan TravelcoreJoined as the first multiple branch member in 2006, showing the group's capability to support larger multi-location travel operations.
- Holidays PleasecoreJoined as the first homeworking member of the Hays Travel Independence Group in 2005, demonstrating the consortium's ability to support remote travel agents.
- The Travel StudiocoreFounding member of the Hays Travel Independence Group consortium established in 1995. The Travel Studio was the first business to join when John and Irene Hays established the Independence Group.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Hays Travel Independence Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Trailfinders: UK-based independent travel agency with retail branches providing direct travel services. Comparable in serving UK independent travel distribution but operates as a single integrated brand rather than a consortium.
- TUI Group: Global travel and tourism conglomerate operating airlines, hotels, cruise ships, and retail travel agencies. A broader incumbent whose retail travel agency business overlaps with the consortium's traditional travel agency members.
- Booking.com: Global online travel agency that competes with traditional travel agents and consortium members for direct consumer bookings. Represents the structural threat of online disintermediation facing the consortium's traditional travel agency members.
- dnata Travel: Global travel services company with retail travel agency operations across multiple markets. Broader incumbent that competes with consortium-led travel retailers for UK and international consumer travel demand.
Direct peers
- Travel Counsellors: UK homeworking travel agent network with thousands of independent travel counsellors operating under a similar membership-style model. Comparable in providing independent travel professionals with back-office support, supplier commissions, and technology.
- The Travel Network Group (TTNG): UK travel consortium formed by merging Mid-Consort and Independent Travel Group, providing independent agents with technology, supplier relationships, and back-office support. Direct competitor in the same UK consortium space.
- Advantage Travel Partnership: The UK's largest competing travel agent consortium, providing independent travel agents with commercial arrangements, back-office support, and supplier commissions. Directly comparable membership model and target customer base as Hays Travel Independence Group.
- Global Travel Group: UK-based consortium of independent travel agents offering members commercial support, marketing, and training. Operates a near-identical consortium model to Hays Travel Independence Group, serving the same independent travel agent segment.
Emerging players
- Imagine Cruising: UK cruise-holiday specialist and member of the Hays Travel Independence Group. Represents an emerging player in the cruise vertical that is both a member and an indicator of the consortium's ability to attract vertical specialists.
- Not Just Travel: UK-based travel franchise and homeworking network that is itself a member of Hays Travel Independence Group but also operates a comparable membership/franchise model. Emerges as an emerging player with overlapping business model and customer base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Hays Travel Independence Group social profiles
Digital presenceHays Travel Independence Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Hays Travel Independence Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hays Travel Independence Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Hays Travel Independence Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hays Travel Independence Group 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 Hays Travel Independence Group
What does Hays Travel Independence Group do?
Hays Travel Independence Group is a UK travel agent consortium that allows independent travel agents and travel businesses to maintain their own brand identity while gaining access to negotiated supplier commissions, back-office operational support, ABTA accreditation, and technical functionality. Members include homeworkers, multi-branch agencies, franchise operators, tour operators, and app-based travel businesses, with the group charging membership fees and earning commissions on bookings routed through its commercial arrangements.
Is Hays Travel Independence Group a public or private company?
Hays Travel Independence Group is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Hays Travel Independence Group founded?
Hays Travel Independence Group was founded in 1995. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Hays Travel Independence Group based?
Hays Travel Independence Group is headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Hays Travel Independence Group make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership/Consortium Fees are the primary driver. The others are supplier Commissions.
Who are Hays Travel Independence Group's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Trailfinders, TUI Group, Booking.com and dnata Travel. Direct peers are Travel Counsellors, The Travel Network Group (TTNG), Advantage Travel Partnership and Global Travel Group. Emerging players are Imagine Cruising and Not Just Travel.
Does Hays Travel Independence Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hays Travel Independence Group.
What industry is Hays Travel Independence Group in?
Hays Travel Independence Group's product category is Travel Agency Consortium Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKAOAA, Fee-Based/Independent Trip Planners (No Booking), with a secondary code of THAKADAB, Small-Group Escorted Tour Operators. Its NAICS code is 561510 and its SIC code is 8600.