The Travelling Naturalist

What The Travelling Naturalist does

The Travelling Naturalist is a UK-based specialist tour operator offering small-group wildlife and bird watching holidays worldwide. Founded in 1994 and operating under The Natural Travel Collection Ltd (company number 7860375), the company runs over 100 nature holidays across seven global regions — Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Polar — led by expert naturalist tour leaders. Product breadth is differentiated across eight tour focus categories: bird watching, mammal watching, flora, nature photography, wildlife art, whale and dolphin, butterfly and moth, and dragonfly watching. The core offering combines flights, accommodation, guided excursions, meals, and expert tuition into all-inclusive small-group packages, typically capped at 12-14 clients per departure.

The business operates a direct sales-led model, with bookings taken via the company website (naturalist.co.uk), phone, and contact form, supplemented by referral and loyalty programmes (5% off every fifth trip; £50 refer-a-friend incentives) and offline presence at trade shows including BirdFair and Destinations in London and Manchester. Pricing is per-person and varies by tour duration and destination — published examples include a 10-day India trip from £4,895 and a 13-day Madagascar trip from £9,995 — with deposits of £200 per person or 20% of total cost and full balance due 12 weeks before departure. The company employs seven staff operating from a registered office in Alresford, Hampshire, alongside sister brands including Wildlife Worldwide, Walks Worldwide, Families Worldwide, Dive Worldwide, and Schools Worldwide under the parent Natural Travel Collection group.

Financial protection is provided through ATOL licence 10544 for flight-inclusive holidays and ABTOT membership 5199 for non-flight packages, with ICO data protection registration (ZA271212). The company has no external venture capital or institutional investment disclosed, no mobile app, no APIs, and no proprietary technology platform — its competitive position rests on brand heritage, tour leader expertise, curated itinerary depth, and regulatory licensing rather than technology or scale.

Name

The Travelling Naturalist

Legal name

The Natural Travel Collection Ltd

Website

https://naturalist.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Travelling Naturalist is a UK-based specialist tour operator offering small-group wildlife and bird watching holidays worldwide, serving enthusiast travellers through expert naturalist-led tours across 100+ itineraries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Tourism

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife & Safari Tour Operators (THAKADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Viewing & Birdwatching Tours (THAAAEAB), Wildlife Watching & Encounters (Birding, Whale Watching, Primates) (THAJAIAC), Safari & Wildlife Adventure Tour Operators (Land-Based) (THAAADAD)

Keywords

• Wildlife tours
• Bird watching holidays
• Small group tours
• Nature tours
• Naturalist led tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Alresford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Package Holiday Tours: Organised small group wildlife and bird watching holidays with flights, accommodation, guided excursions, and meals included. Revenue generated from tour package pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Travelling Naturalist operates small group guided wildlife and bird watching holidays worldwide, led by expert naturalists. The company offers over 100 nature holidays across 7 global regions (Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, Latin America, North America, Polar), with specialised variants covering bird watching, mammal watching, flora, nature photography, wildlife art, whale & dolphin watching, butterfly & moth watching, and dragonfly watching. Tour packages include flights, accommodation, guided excursions, and meals, with deposits of £200 per person or 20% of total cost.

Product overview

The Travelling Naturalist is a small-group wildlife and bird watching tour operator offering over 100 guided nature holidays worldwide. The core product consists of small group tours led by expert naturalists, organized across 8 tour focus categories: Bird Watching, Mammal Watching, Flora, Nature Photography, Wildlife Art, Whale & Dolphin Watching, Butterfly & Moth Watching, and Dragonfly Watching holidays. The company also operates Festival of Wildlife branded multi-destination packages (Tanzania, Madagascar, India, Falklands & South Georgia) combining wildlife viewing with photography workshops and art sessions. Additional services include a loyalty discount programme, recommend-a-friend referral scheme, tailor-made extensions through sister company Wildlife Worldwide, and preferred travel insurance through Campbell Irvine Direct. The company operates under The Natural Travel Collection Ltd with financial protection via ABTOT and ATOL (10544).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wildlife & Bird Watching Holidays Small group guided wildlife and bird watching holidays worldwide, led by expert naturalists. The core offering includes over 100 nature holidays across 7 regions with flights, accommodation, guided excursions, and meals included.
• Bird Watching Holidays Specialized bird watching tours to destinations worldwide, focusing on ornithological experiences and endemic bird species.
• Mammal Watching Holidays Wildlife-focused tours emphasizing mammal sightings including big cats, primates, marine mammals, and other fauna.
• Nature Photography Tours Photography-focused wildlife tours led by professional wildlife photographers with workshops and practical tuition.
• Flora Holidays Nature tours focused on botanical experiences, wildflowers, and plant life in various destinations.
• Whale & Dolphin Watching Holidays Marine wildlife tours focused on cetacean sightings including whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
• Butterfly & Moth Watching Holidays Specialized entomology tours focused on butterflies and moths in prime habitats worldwide.
• Dragonfly Watching Holidays Specialized tours focusing on dragonflies and damselflies, including 6 specific tours in France, UK, and Sweden.
• Wildlife Art Holidays Creative wildlife tours combining wildlife observation with art workshops led by wildlife artists and sculptors. Includes Festival of Wildlife events.
• Festival of Wildlife Tanzania Multi-day wildlife festival in Tanzania's Ngorongoro Conservation Area featuring game drives, photography workshops, and art sessions with expert team including Nick Garbutt and Jonathan Truss.
• Festival of Wildlife Madagascar 13-day festival combining two contrasting wildlife habitats in Madagascar (Andasibe-Mantadia National Park and Anjajavy Private Reserve) with exclusive lodge use, photography and art workshops.
• Festival of Wildlife India Wildlife festival at Pench National Park featuring Bengal tiger sightings, photography workshops with Bret Charman, and sculpture workshops with Nick Mackman.
• Bugs 'n' Beasts Indoors: Photography Workshop UK-based indoor macro photography workshop at Bishops Wood Field Centre, led by Alex Hyde, focusing on captive-bred insects and arthropods.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 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.

• Campbell Irvine DirectcoreOthersPreferred travel insurance broker providing insurance packages to customers. The Natural Travel Collection Ltd acts as an Unregulated Introducer of Campbell Irvine Ltd who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Customers are recommended to consider their insurance packages for trip cancellation and medical coverage.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Naturetrek: UK-based specialist wildlife and bird watching tour operator founded in 1986, offering small-group expert-led holidays worldwide. Closest direct competitor in scale, geography, customer base and product mix.
• WINGS Birding Tours: US-based birding tour operator offering small-group expert-led international birding trips. Comparable expert-leader model and target customer (dedicated birders).
• Field Guides Incorporated: US-based birding tour operator with worldwide small-group expert-led departures. Comparable premium positioning, group size, and birding-focused customer profile.
• Rockjumper Birding Tours: Global birding tour operator offering small-group expert-led trips across all continents. Direct competitor for high-end international birding customers.
• Wildlife Worldwide: Sister brand under The Natural Travel Collection Ltd offering tailor-made wildlife holidays worldwide. Directly comparable specialist wildlife operator with shared back office and customer overlap.
• Birdquest: UK-based birding tour operator running small-group birding and wildlife trips globally. Highly comparable in customer profile (birding enthusiasts), group size, and expert-led model.
• Walks Worldwide: Sister brand under The Natural Travel Collection Ltd offering guided walking and trekking holidays. Same parent, similar small-group expert-led model and shared customer base.
• Victor Emanuel Nature Tours (VENT): Long-established US-based birding and nature tour operator with expert-led small-group trips worldwide. Highly comparable product, customer persona, and leader-led service model.
• Sunbird Holidays: UK-based birding and wildlife tour specialist with small-group departures worldwide. Directly overlaps on birdwatching itineraries, customer persona, and small-group leader-led format.
• Limosa Wildlife Holidays: UK specialist wildlife tour operator offering birdwatching and natural history holidays with expert leaders. Comparable niche positioning and UK customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheTravellingNaturalistWildlifeHolidays
• Instagraminstagram.com/thetravellingnaturalist
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-travelling-naturalist

Compliance3 records

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 The Travelling Naturalist