What Adventure Specialists B.V. does

Adventure Specialists B.V. is a privately held Dutch travel company headquartered in Amsterdam-Duivendrecht with a secondary office in Gent, Belgium, operating two wholly owned tour-operator brands: Shoestring, which targets solo and single travelers, and the sister brand Koning Aap, which serves couples and groups traveling together. The company sells packaged group tours across more than 60 countries spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, distributed direct-to-consumer through shoestring.nl, a dedicated customer portal (mijn.shoestring.nl), and country-specific phone sales lines. Group sizes are kept small at 8-20 travelers with local guides, and pricing is structured to avoid the single supplement that typically penalizes solo travelers — the South Africa 23-day camping tour, for example, starts at €3,527 per person.

The company's technology stack is a curated tour-operator platform combining a booking engine, customer portal, and sustainability measurement tools, most notably the proprietary Local Impact Score developed with Wageningen University in 2015-2016, which combines financial-leakage analysis with a 14-question partner sustainability assessment scored out of 100. Revenue is generated primarily through packaged group tour sales (international flights, ground transport, accommodations, and activities), retained in part for operations with the balance paid to local procurement agents. The company is Travelife Certified at the highest level since 2013 (re-certified 2024 through 2026), a Top Member of ECPAT's The Code, and holds ANVR, SGR, and Calamiteitenfonds memberships that provide Dutch and Belgian consumer financial protection.

Marketing and demand generation rely on owned digital channels — website, monthly newsletter, monthly podcast, blog, and a Shoestring-branded Facebook community group — with sustainability credentials (Travelife certification, 'Ei van Columbus' 2024 award, Justdiggit land-restoration partnership, ResiRest community-meal partnership, AMAL Center and Water Justice Fund impact partnerships) functioning as core brand differentiators rather than as ancillary ESG reporting.

Name

Adventure Specialists B.V.

Legal name

Adventure Specialists B.V.

Website

https://shoestring.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Adventure Specialists B.V. operates the Shoestring brand, a Dutch and Belgian direct-to-consumer tour operator specializing in small-group travel packages (8-20 travelers) for solo and single travelers across 60+ countries, alongside its sister brand Koning Aap for couples.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Group Tour Operator (Adventure Travel)

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Activity & Expedition Packages (Guided Adventure Trips) (THAJABAL)

Keywords

• Group travel packages
• Solo traveler tours
• Adventure travel
• Sustainable tourism
• Small group tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam-Duivendrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Group Tour Package Sales: Shoestring generates revenue through the sale of packaged group tours, including international flights, ground transport, accommodations, and activities. Customers book directly and pay the full package price. The tour operator retains portions for international flights and operations, while local agents receive the local procurement price.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Adventure Specialists B.V. operates the Shoestring brand, a Dutch/Belgian tour operator selling packaged group travel to solo and single travelers across more than 60 destinations in Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. Packages include international flights, ground transport, accommodation, and activities, with small groups of 8-20 travelers, guaranteed departures, and a sustainability-led product certified by Travelife and measured via the proprietary Local Impact Score.

Product overview

Shoestring, operated by Adventure Specialists B.V., is a travel company specializing in group adventures for solo and single travelers across Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. The company offers age-segmented group trips (18-45, 25-35, and all ages), single-specific journeys, festival trips, guaranteed departures, and last-minute deals. Shoestring operates under a sustainable travel philosophy, partnering with local agents, supporting environmental projects like Justdiggit, and holding Travelife certification. The sister brand is Koning Aap, which serves couples and non-single travelers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Groepsreizen 18-45 jaar (Group Trips 18-45) Group travel packages targeting solo and single travelers between ages 18-45, featuring budget-friendly adventure trips worldwide across Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East.
• Groepsreizen 25-35 jaar (Group Trips 25-35) Group travel packages for young adults aged 25-35, offering curated adventure experiences with peers and shared accommodation to avoid single supplements.
• Groepsreizen alle leeftijden (Group Trips All Ages) Open group travel packages welcoming solo and single travelers of all ages with no age restrictions, targeting travelers outside the 18-45 bracket.
• Single Reizen (Single Trips) Trips designed specifically for solo travelers, with shared accommodations structured to avoid single supplements.
• Festivalreizen (Festival Trips) Festival-themed group trips combining international travel with cultural and music festival experiences for solo/single travelers.
• Gegarandeerde Reizen (Guaranteed Departure Trips) Group trips confirmed to depart regardless of the number of participants, eliminating booking hesitation for solo/single travelers.
• Last Minute Reizen (Last-Minute Trips)

Quantifiable outcome

• Local Impact Score for Southern Africa tour: 60/100
• +6 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AMAL Center (Marokko)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Since October 2024, Adventure Specialists (parent of Shoestring) supports the AMAL Center in Marrakech, Morocco, which trains women from disadvantaged backgrounds to become chefs, contributing to women empowerment in the local community.
• Water Justice Fund (Kenia)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Since 2024, Adventure Specialists (parent of Shoestring) supports the Water Justice Fund in Kenya, which empowers women by improving their access to clean water, supporting community development and gender equity.
• JustdiggitcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Since 2023, Adventure Specialists (parent company of Shoestring and Koning Aap) supports Justdiggit, a non-profit working to cool down the planet through land restoration in Africa. Donations fund 'Kisiki Hai' (living stumps) tree regeneration in Tanzania and water bunds ('earth smiles') in Kenya. In 2024, Adventure Specialists donated €100,000 to Justdiggit. Combined 2023-2024 donations contributed to restoration of ~25,700 trees, 650 hectares of land, and absorption of 4,900 tons of CO2.
• ResiRestcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Shoestring partners with ResiRest, a social enterprise with World Fair Trade recognition, to bring travelers to local family homes for meal experiences. Families receive fair payment per person, and groups are distributed across multiple families to maximize community benefit. In 2024, approximately 415 families earned income from this partnership. Available in Morocco, Vietnam, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Colombia, Peru, and Egypt.
• Travelife for Tour OperatorscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Adventure Specialists (parent of Shoestring) has been Travelife Certified since 2013 at the highest certification level, covering both Shoestring and sister brand Koning Aap. The certification requires bi-annual auditing against over 250 sustainability criteria, including environmental practices, social responsibility, and supply chain management.
• ECPAT International / The CodecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShoestring is a Top Member of The Code, an initiative developed by ECPAT International to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse of children in tourism. Adventure Specialists (parent company) actively reports annually on contributions to this mission. Shoestring also uses ECPAT training modules for its local agents.
• World Animal ProtectionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShoestring consults World Animal Protection for guidance on animal-friendly excursions. Their advice is followed in most cases. ChangChill, Shoestring's ethical elephant partner in Thailand, is endorsed by World Animal Protection.
• Stichting AAP (Animal Advocacy and Protection)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdventure Specialists (parent company of Shoestring) donates annually to Stichting AAP, a European animal welfare organization that rescues exotic mammals (monkeys, lions, tigers) from illegal trade and exploitation, advocates for stronger animal protection laws, and works to end animal suffering at its source.
• Roundtable Human Rights in TourismminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShoestring follows the Roundtable Human Rights in Tourism and monitors developments on human rights in countries with repressive regimes. The company is committed to deepening its engagement on this complex topic in the coming years.
• Local Tour Guides and Agents (destination-level)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal tour guides and agents are critical to Shoestring's operations — they execute trips, provide local transport and guidance, advise on destinations and accommodations, and serve as the 'eyes and ears' of each destination. 96% of surveyed local agents have a sustainability policy or action plan. 52% are or have been certified. Shoestring requires all partners to start a certification journey by 2027 and be fully certified by 2030. Local agents receive training via Travelife and ECPAT modules.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Flash Pack: Solo-travel-focused tour operator offering small-group adventure trips specifically designed for solo travelers without single supplements. Highly comparable niche overlap with Shoestring's solo-only positioning, though Flash Pack targets higher-income, slightly older solo travelers.

Direct peers

• Contiki: Group tour operator specifically targeting 18-35 year-old travelers with multi-region itineraries. Highly comparable to Shoestring's 18-45 and 25-35 product lines on age segmentation, group-travel model, and trip style, although Contiki's global scale and party-oriented positioning differs.
• Intrepid Travel: Globally operating small-group tour operator with a strong sustainability positioning (carbon-neutral certified, B Corp). Closely comparable to Shoestring in offering small group, locally guided, multi-region adventure itineraries with an emphasis on responsible travel, though Intrepid operates at a much larger global scale.
• G Adventures: Small-group adventure tour operator with a comparable 'local living' and community-tourism positioning, similar group sizes, and similar broad multi-region catalog. Directly comparable on business model (curated small group tours with local agents) and target customer (independent, experience-driven travelers).
• Sawadee: Dutch tour operator offering group trips with a comparable small-group, adventure-leaning product across similar global destinations. Direct competitor for Dutch travelers with overlapping age targeting (roughly 18-35) and similar group-trip mechanics.

Others

• Koning Aap: Sister brand of Shoestring, wholly owned by Adventure Specialists B.V., offering comparable group adventure trips but for couples and general travelers (not solo). Comparable on product, destinations, and operational backbone, but not an independent competitor.

Broad incumbents

• EF Education First (EF Tours): Global education and group travel operator with comparable guided multi-region itineraries and an emphasis on experiential travel. Comparable on group-travel mechanics and multi-destination offering, but at a much larger scale and with an educational framing.
• TUI: Largest European integrated travel group with a Dutch arm offering package tours, group trips, and adventure holidays. Overlaps with Shoestring on multi-region group travel but operates at a vastly larger scale across accommodation, airline, and tour operations.

Regional players

• Better Places: Dutch small-group tour operator focused on responsible, locally embedded travel with comparable sustainability claims. Operates in the same Dutch market with overlapping destinations and a similar small-group, local-guide model.
• Riksja Travel: Dutch sustainable tour operator offering small-group trips across similar destinations, with an explicit sustainability and 'better tourism' positioning analogous to Shoestring's Travelife-led approach. Highly comparable in Dutch market context.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/2295572157594636
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adventure-specialists-b.v.

Compliance5 records

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 Adventure Specialists B.V.