The Kilroy Group

What The Kilroy Group does

The Kilroy Group, headed by the Danish public limited company Kilroy International A/S, operates a portfolio of seven travel and education brands across eight European markets (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, United Kingdom). The Group employs more than 450 people, of which approximately 90 are based at the Copenhagen headquarters on Nytorv 5, and runs 20 physical branches supplemented by direct online channels. Brands include KILROY (legacy travel brand since 1946), BENNS (group travel for schools and companies since 1963), Jysk Rejsebureau and Winberg Travel (adventure travel for 18-30), Flights by KILROY (online flight tickets, more than 20 years), Education Abroad by KILROY (study-abroad counselling in Denmark, Norway, Sweden), ISIC (exclusive representative of the global ISIC student ID in five markets, covering 150,000+ benefits in 100+ countries), and MyPlanet (premium tailor-made travel for 45+ travellers, reintegrated in October 2024).

The business operates three core revenue streams: transaction-fee-based travel agency services across flight sales, group travel, tailor-made trips, and packaged tours; professional services fees from educational counselling delivered through university partnerships; and licensing/royalty economics from the exclusive ISIC representation. Go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer digital sales (online flight tickets, brand websites across all markets), sales-led motion through experienced travel consultants, and an enterprise field-sales presence via the 20-branch network and dedicated institutional teams (BENNS, Education Abroad). Distribution combines own e-commerce storefronts, the branch network, university/educational institution partnerships, and the global ISIC distribution network.

Technology is described as in-house system development and operations supporting all brands through the Copenhagen HQ, with no disclosed AI/ML, API, or proprietary platform components; an ISIC app and virtual ID operate in 100+ countries. Ownership is private: in 2007, a group of Nordic investors acquired 100% of shares with Iceland Invest Ltd as the majority shareholder, and there has been no subsequent public listing. The Group is actively restructuring, with the 2025 demerger of Horizons A/S into Jysk Rejsebureau A/S and KILROY Denmark A/S and the 2026 separation of Flights by KILROY into a standalone business unit.

Name

The Kilroy Group

Legal name

Kilroy International A/S

Website

https://www.kilroygroup.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Kilroy Group is a Copenhagen-headquartered private holding company operating seven travel, educational counselling, and student-benefits brands across eight European markets, employing more than 450 people and serving youth, mature, institutional, and student customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Student & Youth Educational Tours (THAKAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Travel Subscription, Membership & Deal Clubs (THAKAAAL)

Keywords

• Travel services
• Student identity cards
• Educational counselling
• Group travel
• Student benefits

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Travel Agency Services: The Group generates revenue through multiple travel brands offering flight tickets, group travel, tailor-made trips, and packaged tours across eight markets in Europe.
2. Educational Counselling: Education Abroad by KILROY provides counselling services to students seeking study programmes or internships outside their home countries through partnerships with universities and educational institutions.
3. ISIC Student Benefits: ISIC (International Student Identity Card) is the only internationally accepted student ID with more than 150,000 student benefits worldwide. The Group serves as exclusive representative of ISIC and the global non-profit ISIC Association in five markets.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Kilroy Group is a privately held parent company that owns and operates a portfolio of consumer travel, group travel, educational counselling, and student benefits brands across eight European markets. Its core products and services include packaged travel retail (KILROY, Jysk Rejsebureau, Winberg Travel), corporate and group travel (BENNS), study-abroad placement and educational counselling (Education Abroad by KILROY), online flight sales (Flights by KILROY), student identity and benefits cards (ISIC), and specialized travel products for the 45+ segment (MyPlanet).

Product overview

The Kilroy Group operates as a multi-brand portfolio company headed by Kilroy International A/S, encompassing seven distinct travel and education brands across eight European markets. The portfolio includes KILROY (core travel brand dating to 1946), BENNS (group travel since 1963), Jysk Rejsebureau and Winberg Travel (adventure travel), Flights by KILROY (online flight sales), Education Abroad by KILROY (student counselling), ISIC (student identity card with global benefits), and MyPlanet (tailor-made travel for 45+ travellers reintegrated in 2024). The Group provides shared services including marketing, products, finance, fulfillment, HR, and in-house system development through its Copenhagen headquarters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BENNS: Group travel specialist since 1963, primarily within educational and business sectors. Creates tailored travel experiences for schools and companies.
• Education Abroad by KILROY
• Flights by KILROY
• ISIC
• Jysk Rejsebureau
• Winberg Travel
• KILROY
• MyPlanet

Products and services

• KILROY (travel retail brand)
• BENNS (group travel)
• Education Abroad by KILROY Educational counselling and study-abroad placement service connecting students with international educational programmes, supporting universities and individual students with cross-border study arrangements.
• Flights by KILROY Online flight sales channel enabling consumers to search, compare, and purchase airline tickets directly through the group's digital platform.
• ISIC (International Student Identity Card) Globally recognized student identity card providing discounts, benefits, and proof of student status to students across participating countries, operated by The Kilroy Group.
• Jysk Rejsebureau Travel retail brand serving the Danish market, offering packaged leisure travel, flight bookings, and travel-related services to individual consumers.
• Winberg Travel Travel retail brand within the group's portfolio, offering leisure travel products and services to individual consumers in its served European market(s).
• MyPlanet (travelers aged 45+) Specialized travel offering targeted at travelers aged 45 and over, providing tailored travel products and services for the 45+ demographic.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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.

• Universities and Educational InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation Abroad by KILROY operates through partnerships with universities and other educational institutions to provide counselling services to students seeking study programmes or internships outside their home countries. The portfolio includes a range of destinations, academic fields and experiences offered through these partnerships.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves18 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• TUI Group: Europe's largest integrated travel and tourism company operating tour operators, airlines, hotels, and cruises across multiple European markets. Comparable as a multi-brand European travel portfolio with similar youth, mature, and group-travel customer segments.

Direct peers

• Intrepid Travel: Small-group adventure tour operator focused on sustainable, experience-led travel for younger and middle-aged demographics. Closely comparable to KILROY/Jysk Rejsebureau's small-group adventure offering and the youth traveller (18-31) segment.
• EF Education First: Global education and study-abroad company offering language travel, academic programmes, and cultural exchanges. Directly comparable to Education Abroad by KILROY and the broader student/youth educational travel value proposition.
• Contiki: Youth-focused group tour operator for 18-35 travellers offering fixed-departure itineraries across Europe and beyond. Directly comparable to KILROY's small-group adventures and BENNS's group travel programmes.
• StudentUniverse: Online travel agency specialising in student and youth travel deals, flights, and group bookings. Comparable as a youth/student-focused travel intermediary with adjacent distribution and benefits-driven value proposition (vs. ISIC).
• Topdeck Travel: Group travel operator targeting 18-30 travellers with trips across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Comparable to KILROY's youth small-group adventure product and Jysk Rejsebureau's prepackaged tours.
• G Adventures: Small-group adventure tour operator with a sustainability focus, serving travellers across age segments. Comparable to KILROY/Jysk Rejsebureau's small-group adventure offering and the Group's CSR positioning.

Emerging players

• TourRadar: Online marketplace for multi-day guided tours and adventure travel operators worldwide. Comparable as a digital distribution layer for tour operators and group travel experiences overlapping Kilroy's tour offerings.

Regional players

• S-Travels (Statens Turistbyrå): Norwegian student and youth travel agency with roots in the student-union movement, operating tours and student travel services. Directly comparable to Kilroy's Nordic student/youth heritage and the BENNS group travel model.
• Apollo Travel (Nordic): Nordic tour operator offering package tours, charter flights, and tailor-made travel for Scandinavian customers. Comparable as a multi-brand Nordic travel competitor in the leisure and mature-traveller segments MyPlanet targets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thekilroygroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries11 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 Kilroy Group