What Travel Inc does

Travel Inc (legal name: TRAVEL INC & CRUISE INC, also doing business as Travel Incorporated) is a privately held boutique travel agency headquartered in Umhlanga Rocks, Durban, South Africa, founded in March 1998. The company serves both leisure and corporate travelers through a relationship-led, concierge-level service model — Janine Pugh-Jones (Travel Specialist) and a small team deliver bespoke holiday planning, cruising arrangements (notably Norwegian Cruise Line), yacht charters, all-inclusive packages, private jets, expedition travel, and curated destination packages across Italy, Greece, Spain, Iceland, the UK, France, and Switzerland. Travel Inc has been a member of the Club Travel Consortium since 2014, which provides access to negotiated rates with airlines, tour operators, cruise lines, and other travel suppliers.

The business has no proprietary technology platform; it operates as a traditional travel agency leveraging supplier booking systems and the third-party Travefy platform for its website and client itinerary pages. Revenue is generated through two streams: (1) commissions earned as an agent for airlines, tour operators, cruise companies, hotels, and other travel suppliers on each booking, and (2) non-refundable service charges applied for booking, ticketing, documentation, amendments, cancellation, communications, consultation, and administration. Pricing is quote-based, with pay-as-you-go billing cadence and full payment dictated by underlying travel service providers. There are no published prices; all quotations are customized to individual client requirements.

The company serves two primary segments — Leisure Travelers (luxury and tailor-made holidays) and Corporate Travelers (business and group travel) — sold through direct consultations, phone, email, and a website contact form, with no intermediary resellers. With a 5-person team, single-country domestic operations, no institutional funding, no M&A activity, and 28+ years of continuous independent operation, Travel Inc is a stable micro-enterprise in the South African luxury travel segment.

Name

Travel Inc

Legal name

TRAVEL INC & CRUISE INC

Website

https://travelinc.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Travel Inc is a privately held, boutique luxury travel agency based in Umhlanga Rocks, South Africa, founded in 1998. The 5-person team delivers bespoke leisure and corporate travel planning — including cruises, destination packages, and expeditions — earning revenue through supplier commissions and service charges via direct client relationships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Agency Services

NAICS

Travel Agencies (56151)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury & Premium Leisure Travel Agencies (THAKABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cruise Travel Agencies & Specialist Cruise Consultants (THAEAFAB), Island, Beach & Resort Travel Agencies (THAKAFAL)

Keywords

• Luxury travel planning
• Cruise booking services
• Bespoke holiday itineraries
• Corporate travel arrangements
• Tailormade leisure travel

Headquarters

HQ city

Umhlanga Rocks

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Travel Supplier Commissions: Travel Inc acts as an agent for airlines, tour operators, cruise companies, hotels, and other travel providers. Commissions are earned on bookings made through these suppliers.
2. Service Charges: Service charges applied for services including booking, ticketing, documentation, amendments, cancellation, communications, consultation, and administration. All service charges are non-refundable.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Travel Inc is a privately owned boutique travel agency that creates bespoke luxury holidays and curates pre-packaged travel experiences for leisure and corporate clients. Its core services include tailormade holiday planning, cruise bookings, yacht charters, all-inclusive packages, private jet arrangements, expedition travel, and destination-focused packages such as Northern Lights tours, Italian itineraries, and Greek Isles cruises. The company operates as an agent for airlines, tour operators, cruise lines, and hotels, earning commissions and service charges on bookings.

Product overview

Travel Inc operates as a boutique travel agency offering personalized luxury travel services. The core offering is their Tailormade Luxury Travel service, which creates bespoke holidays tailored to individual client needs, complemented by curated pre-packaged travel options. Their specialty lies in cruising services, with access to major cruise lines and competitive rates through Club Travel Consortium membership. The company provides destination-focused packages including Northern Lights tours, Italian experiences, and Greek Isles cruises. All services emphasize personalized concierge-level attention rather than mass-market travel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tailormade Luxury Travel Bespoke holiday planning service that creates personalized travel experiences tailored to individual client needs, including cruises, yacht charters, all-inclusive packages, private jets, and expeditions to lost cities.
• Curated Travel Packages Pre-packaged travel offerings including cruises, package tours, and beach holidays sourced from vetted travel suppliers for clients who prefer ready-made options.
• Cruising Services Specialized cruise booking services with access to major cruise lines including NCL (Norwegian Cruise Line), providing all-inclusive freestyle cruising options and itineraries such as Greek Isles sailing.
• Northern Lights Tour Guided tour to view the Northern Lights, available December through March, offered as a destination-focused package tour experience.
• Treasures of Italy Curated Italian travel experience covering the country's top attractions at an elegant pace.
• Greek Isles - Santorini & Israel - NCL Jade Island hopping cruise itinerary in the Greek Isles including Santorini and Israel, sailing on NCL Jade with All-Inclusive Freestyle Cruising.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Club Travel ConsortiumcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2014Travel Inc has been a member of the Club Travel Consortium since 2014. This affiliation provides access to excellent negotiated rates with a vast array of travel suppliers including airlines, tour operators, and travel providers across the entire spectrum of the travel industry.
• AirlinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTravel suppliers providing flight services. Travel Inc accesses negotiated rates through Club Travel Consortium membership for airline bookings.
• Tour OperatorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTravel suppliers providing package tours and travel experiences. Access to negotiated rates through Club Travel Consortium affiliation.
• Cruise CompaniescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNorwegian Cruise Line (NCL) and other cruise operators. Travel Inc specializes in cruising and offers cruises including NCL Jade with All Inclusive Freestyle Cruising.
• Hotels and Accommodation ProvidersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party accommodation suppliers including hotels, resorts, and other lodging providers included in travel packages.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Wild Frontiers Adventure Travel: Adventure and off-the-beaten-path travel company offering expeditions and tailormade trips to unusual destinations. Comparable in the bespoke, expedition, and tailormade luxury travel niche Travel Inc serves.

Broad incumbents

• TUI Group: Global integrated travel conglomerate with tour operator, airline, cruise, and retail agency operations across multiple markets. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the travel value chain competing for the same leisure and cruise customers, though at much larger scale.

Regional players

• Sure Travel: South African travel agency consortium with a network of independently owned member agencies. Comparable as a South African travel intermediary serving leisure clients, though operating through a franchised retail network rather than a single bespoke agency.

Direct peers

• Travelstart: Leading South African online travel agency offering flight, hotel, and package bookings. Comparable as a South Africa-headquartered travel intermediary serving both leisure and corporate clients, though operating via an online platform rather than concierge service.
• Dream Vacations / CruiseOne: Home-based cruise-specialist franchise network under World Travel Holdings, focused primarily on cruise bookings and vacation packages. Comparable in cruise specialization and small-team, relationship-driven service model.
• Frosch Travel: US-based luxury travel agency network with a concierge-led model focused on bespoke leisure and corporate itineraries. Closely comparable in service style, luxury positioning, and reliance on personal travel advisor relationships.
• Avoya Travel: US cruise-focused travel agency network with a heavy emphasis on cruise and vacation package sales through independent agents. Comparable as a cruise-specialist agency leveraging supplier partnerships and commission-based economics.
• Thompsons Africa: South African tour operator and travel agency offering package tours, guided holidays, and corporate travel across Africa and internationally. Comparable in offering curated and tailor-made travel experiences to the South African market with both leisure and corporate exposure.
• Protravel International: US luxury travel management company specializing in bespoke leisure and corporate travel for high-net-worth clients. Comparable in curated luxury positioning, concierge service model, and reliance on experienced travel advisors.
• Flight Centre South Africa: Largest multi-brand travel agency group in South Africa, offering leisure and corporate travel across retail and online channels. Directly comparable as a South African travel agency serving both individual and corporate clients with similar supplier-commission economics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/travel-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Travel Inc