Red Sea Holidays
Red Sea Holidays is a UK specialist tour operator (founded 2009, 32 staff, Cambridge-headquartered) selling package holidays exclusively to Egypt — flights, hotels, transfers, Nile cruises, and Cairo stays — to UK families, couples, divers, and adults-only travelers via DTC and travel agent channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersCambridge, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Red Sea Holidays does
Red Sea Holidays is a UK-based specialist tour operator (Red Sea Holidays UK Ltd, registered in England, company number 06418075) founded in 2009 and headquartered in Cambridge. The company sells package holidays exclusively to Egypt, combining return flights from 14 UK departure airports, accommodation at partnered Egyptian hotels, shared coach transfers, and optional excursions. Its customer base is UK leisure travelers — families, couples, divers, and adults-only travelers — acquired through direct-to-consumer channels (website, telephone sales) and a supporting travel agent network with a dedicated agent portal.
The product portfolio centers on Egypt Holiday Packages and includes exclusive UK distribution rights to the Red Sea Hotels chain, Nile cruise and cruise-and-stay combinations, Cairo Stays add-ons, all-inclusive upgrades, family-oriented amenities (Maxi Kinder Club, Maxi Baby Service), PADI-certified diving packages, and Holiday Extras (airport parking, lounges, hotels) via a third-party partner. All packages are sold under ATOL licence 9749 and ABTA membership Y2507, providing consumer financial protection. The company is part of a family-owned travel business operating for over 30 years and has won the British Travel Awards "Best to Middle East/North Africa" category 12 times.
The business model is a traditional package-holiday retailer: gross margin is earned between wholesale supplier costs (airline seats, hotel allotments) and retail pricing, with deposits of £99 per person on charter flight packages and balances due 12 weeks before departure. There is no proprietary technology platform; the booking infrastructure is a standard transactional website and agent portal. Ancillary revenue is generated from all-inclusive upgrades, in-resort excursion sales, and affiliate referral fees from Holiday Extras. Operational scale is modest at 32 employees, with no disclosed funding, institutional investment, M&A activity, or public listing in the available source data.
Red Sea Holidays firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Red Sea Holidays
- Legal name
- Red Sea Holidays UK Ltd
- Website
- https://redseaholidays.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Red Sea Holidays is a UK specialist tour operator (founded 2009, 32 staff, Cambridge-headquartered) selling package holidays exclusively to Egypt — flights, hotels, transfers, Nile cruises, and Cairo stays — to UK families, couples, divers, and adults-only travelers via DTC and travel agent channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Red Sea Holidays industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tour Operator / Leisure Travel Packages
- NAICS
- Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152), Travel Agencies (56151)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hotel + Pre/Post-Cruise Land Stays (Cruisetours) (THAEAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Cruise + Beach Extension Packages (THAEAHAG)
Keywords
Where Red Sea Holidays is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cambridge
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Red Sea Holidays business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Package Holiday Sales: Bundled holiday packages including flights, accommodation, and transfers. Customers pay deposit (£99 per person for charter flights) at booking with balance due 12 weeks before departure. Revenue generated from margin between wholesale supplier costs and retail pricing.
- All-Inclusive Upgrades: All-inclusive meal and beverage packages bundled with hotel stays. Provides higher perceived value and predictable revenue per guest.
- Excursions and Add-ons: Nile cruises, Cairo stays, diving packages, and other excursions sold as add-ons to base holiday packages. Available for pre-booking or purchase in resort.
- Holiday Extras: Airport parking, lounges, fast track, and airport hotels sold through partnership with Holiday Extras.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Package holidays with flights, accommodation, and shared coach transfers |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Late deals within 35 days of departure |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Red Sea Holidays product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Red Sea Holidays is a UK tour operator that retails bundled package holidays to Egypt. Each package combines return flights from one of 14 UK airports, accommodation at partnered Red Sea resort hotels (Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh, Makadi Bay, Sahl Hasheesh, Luxor), and shared coach transfers, with add-on options for Cairo stays, Nile cruises, all-inclusive board upgrades, diving, and travel extras. The company sells directly to UK consumers through its website, telephone desk, and trade travel-agent network, protected by ATOL 9749 and ABTA Y2507.
Product overview
Red Sea Holidays operates as a UK-based tour operator specialising in package holidays to Egypt's Red Sea resorts. The core product is Egypt Holiday Packages combining return flights from UK airports, accommodation at partnered Egyptian hotels, and shared coach transfers. The portfolio includes exclusive access to Red Sea Hotels (a sub-brand hotel chain), Nile Cruise packages, Cairo Stays add-ons, and Cruise and Stay combination holidays. Additional offerings include All Inclusive packages, family-oriented properties with Maxi Kinder Club and Maxi Baby Service, adult-only segments, diving packages through PADI-certified centres, and Holiday Extras (airport parking, lounges, hotels) via a third-party partner. The company targets UK travellers seeking beach, diving, and cultural holiday experiences in Egypt.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Red Sea Hotels: A leading Egyptian-based hotel chain offering consistently high standards of accommodation and service in excellent locations. Their hotels are only available to book in the UK through Red Sea Holidays.
Products and services
- Egypt Holiday Packages Bundle holiday packages to Egypt combining return flights from UK airports, accommodation at Red Sea resorts (Hurghada, Sharm el Sheikh, Makadi Bay, Sahl Hasheesh, Luxor), shared coach transfers, and board-basis options. Sold to UK travellers as the company's core product.
- Cairo Stays 3-night add-on excursion to Cairo sold as an extension to existing Sharm El Sheikh or Hurghada bookings, featuring stays at Swiss Inn Pyramids Golf Resort, internal flights from Red Sea resorts, and guided pyramid tours.
- Nile Cruise Packages 7-night Nile cruise holidays combined with Red Sea hotel accommodation, sold under the Jaz Cruises brand. Includes full-board basis on cruise ships, sightseeing at Egyptian monuments, and shared coach transfers between resort and cruise ports.
- Cruise and Stay Combination package that pairs a 7-night Nile cruise with 7 nights at Red Sea hotel accommodation. Hotel stays are split before and after the cruise depending on arrival day and departure airport.
- Red Sea Hotels Sub-brand of exclusive Egyptian hotels offering consistently high standards of accommodation in Hurghada and Makadi Bay. Available to book in the UK only through Red Sea Holidays and its agents, with free late checkout for Red Sea Holidays guests.
- Holiday Extras (Airport Parking, Lounges, Hotels, Fast Track) Pre-bookable travel extras offered via the partner Holiday Extras platform, including airport parking, airport lounges, airport hotels, and fast track services, integrated into the Red Sea Holidays booking flow.
- Red Sea Diving Packages Scuba diving packages at Red Sea resorts delivered through partner diving centres certified by PADI, including equipment rental, daily dives, and PADI course certifications.
- All-Inclusive Holiday Upgrades All-inclusive meal and beverage upgrade bundled with hotel stays, providing buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner, snacks, soft drinks, hot beverages, locally produced alcoholic beverages for at least 12 hours daily, and day/evening entertainment at partner hotels.
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% customer satisfaction rate (excellent or good ratings)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Red Sea Holidays
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Red Sea Holidays technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Red Sea Holidays partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Red Sea HotelscoreExclusive partnership with Egyptian hotel chain Red Sea Hotels. These hotels are only available to book in the UK through Red Sea Holidays and their agents, providing exclusive inventory access and brand differentiation.
- ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents)coreABTA membership number Y2507. ABTA provides consumer protection, dispute resolution, and code of conduct standards for the travel industry.
- Holiday ExtrasminorThird-party provider of airport parking, lounges, hotels, and other travel extras integrated into Red Sea Holidays booking flow.
- Civil Aviation Authority (ATOL)coreATOL licence number 9749. Provides financial protection for package holidays and flight-inclusive bookings under the Air Travel Organiser's Licence scheme.
- Jaz CruisescoreNile cruise packages offered under Jaz brand, with free late checkout available on Grand Cruises accommodation. Part of package holiday offerings.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Red Sea Holidays competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- TUI UK: Europe's largest integrated tour operator offering Egypt beach packages alongside a global portfolio. Overlaps with Red Sea Holidays on Egypt holidays but operates at much greater scale across many destinations, with own airlines and cruise ships.
Direct peers
- Audley Travel: UK specialist tour operator focused on tailor-made long-haul travel including Middle East and North Africa. Comparable as a curated, expert-driven UK specialist competing for higher-spend customers seeking bespoke Egypt and Nile experiences.
- On the Beach: UK online package holiday retailer offering beach holidays including Egypt destinations. Operates as a marketplace/bundler rather than a tour operator, competing for the same UK outbound beach customer with aggressive digital marketing.
- Jet2 Holidays: UK package holiday specialist combining flights, accommodation, and transfers with broad destination coverage including Egypt (Hurghada, Sharm el Sheikh). Operates own airline (Jet2.com) and competes directly with Red Sea Holidays in the UK beach-holiday segment.
- Love Holidays: UK online travel agency selling beach package holidays to Mediterranean and North Africa destinations including Egypt. Competes on price and digital UX for the same UK families and couples demographic.
- Hayes & Jarvis: UK specialist tour operator with long-haul and Middle East destinations in its portfolio. Comparable as a UK-based specialist tour operator with curated, expert-led holiday offerings versus mass-market packages.
- easyJet Holidays: Package-holiday arm of easyJet selling flights + hotel bundles across beach destinations including Egypt. Targets value-conscious UK families and overlaps directly with Red Sea Holidays' core UK families/couples segment.
- Mercury Holidays: UK tour operator specialising in long-haul and beach destinations including North Africa. Similar size, structure, and product mix (flights + hotel + transfers) targeting UK holidaymakers, and overlapping on Egypt and Red Sea routes.
- Imagine Holidays: UK specialist tour operator focused on long-haul destinations, including Egypt and Nile cruise products. Competes for similar UK customers seeking curated, expert-led Egypt itineraries with cultural and cruise components.
- Sunshine.co.uk: UK online package holiday retailer selling flights + accommodation bundles to Mediterranean and North Africa destinations including Egypt. Targets similar value-conscious UK families and couples with package holidays from regional UK airports.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Red Sea Holidays social profiles
Digital presenceRed Sea Holidays compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Red Sea Holidays financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Red Sea Holidays leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Red Sea Holidays funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Red Sea Holidays 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 Red Sea Holidays
What does Red Sea Holidays do?
Red Sea Holidays is a UK tour operator that retails bundled package holidays to Egypt. Each package combines return flights from one of 14 UK airports, accommodation at partnered Red Sea resort hotels (Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh, Makadi Bay, Sahl Hasheesh, Luxor), and shared coach transfers, with add-on options for Cairo stays, Nile cruises, all-inclusive board upgrades, diving, and travel extras. The company sells directly to UK consumers through its website, telephone desk, and trade travel-agent network, protected by ATOL 9749 and ABTA Y2507.
Is Red Sea Holidays a public or private company?
Red Sea Holidays is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Red Sea Holidays founded?
Red Sea Holidays was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Red Sea Holidays based?
Red Sea Holidays is headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Red Sea Holidays make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Package Holiday Sales are the primary driver. The others are all-Inclusive Upgrades, excursions and Add-ons and holiday Extras.
Who are Red Sea Holidays's main competitors?
TUI UK is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Audley Travel, On the Beach, Jet2 Holidays, Love Holidays, Hayes & Jarvis, easyJet Holidays, Mercury Holidays, Imagine Holidays and Sunshine.co.uk.
Does Red Sea Holidays have an API?
No public API is recorded for Red Sea Holidays.
What industry is Red Sea Holidays in?
Red Sea Holidays's product category is Tour Operator / Leisure Travel Packages. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAEAHAC, Hotel + Pre/Post-Cruise Land Stays (Cruisetours), with a secondary code of THAEAHAG, Cruise + Beach Extension Packages. Its NAICS code is 561520 and its SIC code is 7900.