Holiday Vacations
Holiday Vacations is a Wisconsin-based, 50-year-old escorted tour operator and Xanterra Travel Collection subsidiary that designs all-inclusive guided travel packages for individual US leisure travelers, offering 80+ tours departing from 90+ airports with pricing from $2,799 to $13,999.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1974
- HeadquartersEau Claire, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Holiday Vacations does
Holiday Vacations is a US-based escorted tour operator headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, founded in 1973-1974 and currently operating as a subsidiary of Xanterra Travel Collection (The Anschutz Corporation). The company designs and sells fully escorted, all-inclusive tour packages for individual leisure travelers, with a portfolio of more than 80 active tours covering US national parks, North America, and international destinations across Europe, Africa, the Pacific, and beyond. Its customers are predominantly distributed US-based mature and retired leisure travelers who prefer guided group formats over self-directed travel.
Its core product is bundled itineraries that combine transportation, lodging, meals, sightseeing, and a dedicated Tour Director into a single package, with tour pricing tiered from approximately $2,799 for shorter domestic trips to roughly $13,999 for premium international itineraries. The company operates a Guest Portal and mobile application for itinerary and account access, and runs the Holiday Vacations Travel Club loyalty program for repeat customers. Departures are organized from more than 90 US airports, and the offering is extended through partnerships with major cruise lines (Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises) and rail operators (Rocky Mountaineer).
Holiday Vacations generates revenue through direct-to-consumer sales of tour packages, with no disclosed enterprise, corporate, or contracted group channel. Pricing is set per departure rather than via dynamic or auction-style market mechanisms, and revenue mechanics depend on ticket price, seat capacity per tour, departure frequency, and load factor across a calendar of domestic and international itineraries. The company's go-to-market is primarily digital and direct (website, portal, mobile), supplemented by traditional print and referral channels typical of mature escorted-tour operators.
Holiday Vacations firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Holiday Vacations
- Legal name
- Holiday Vacations
- Website
- https://holidayvacations.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1974
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Holiday Vacations is a Wisconsin-based, 50-year-old escorted tour operator and Xanterra Travel Collection subsidiary that designs all-inclusive guided travel packages for individual US leisure travelers, offering 80+ tours departing from 90+ airports with pricing from $2,799 to $13,999.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Holiday Vacations industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Guided Tour Services
- NAICS
- Tour Operators (56152), Tour Operators (561520)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Group & Small-Group Custom Itinerary Planning (THAKAOAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Escorted Coach & Bus Package Tour Operators (THAKADAA), Multi-Activity & Expedition Packages (Guided Adventure Trips) (THAJABAL)
Keywords
Where Holiday Vacations is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Eau Claire
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Holiday Vacations business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Tour Package Sales: Holiday Vacations generates primary revenue through the sale of packaged guided tours. Tours are sold as all-inclusive packages with airfare, accommodations, transportation, meals, attractions, and gratuities bundled into the price. Customers pay a $200 deposit per person to secure reservations, with full payment due at a specified final payment date.
- Travel Protection Plans: The company offers customized travel protection plans through a third-party provider (Redpoint Travel Protection), earning referral fees or commissions on sales. These plans include trip cancellation, interruption, emergency medical, evacuation, and baggage delay coverage.
- Loyalty Program Credits: The Holiday Travelers Club loyalty program awards tiered credits ($100-$500 per completed tour) that can be applied to future bookings, creating recurring revenue through customer retention and repeat purchases.
- Referral Credits: The Refer-a-Friend program generates new customer acquisitions through existing customer referrals. The company offers $200 credits to referring members and $100 discounts to new guests, driving booking volume through existing customer networks.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Standard Tour Packages |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Holiday Vacations product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Holiday Vacations sells fully-guided, all-inclusive tour packages spanning land, cruise, rail, and motorcoach formats across nine destination regions worldwide. Each package bundles round-trip airfare from 90+ U.S. airports, accommodations, ground transportation, baggage handling, many meals, attractions, gratuities, and the services of a professional tour director into a single price ranging from approximately $2,799 to $13,999 per person. The company supplements these packages with the Holiday Travelers Club loyalty program, optional Redpoint Travel Protection plans, the Holiday Traveler mobile app, and the Guest Portal for booking management.
Product overview
Holiday Vacations is a national tour operator offering fully-guided vacation packages. The core offering is comprehensive tour packages that include airfare, accommodations, transportation, professional tour directors, local guides, many meals, attractions, and gratuities. The company provides over 106 tour options across 9 destination regions (Alaska, Africa & Middle East, Asia, Australia & Pacific, Canada, Central & South America, Europe, Hawaii, Continental United States) available in four tour styles (Land, Cruise, Rail, Land & Cruise) and four activity levels (Leisurely, Moderate, Active, Very Active). Digital support includes the Holiday Traveler mobile app for itinerary access and tour management, and the Guest Portal for reservations and payments. The portfolio includes branded tour series (Grand Adventure, Discovery Series, Celebration Series, Farm-to-Table Series, Signature Series, Small Group Series) plus a loyalty program (Holiday Travelers Club) and optional travel protection through Redpoint. The company is part of Xanterra Travel Collection and partners with cruise lines including Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Windstar Cruises, and CroisiEurope.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Holiday Travelers Club: Loyalty program that provides exclusive benefits, special offers, and tiered loyalty credits for repeat customers who have completed tours with Holiday Vacations.
Products and services
- Guided Tour Packages
Quantifiable outcome
- Deposits are fully refundable if canceling before final payment date
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Holiday Vacations
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Holiday Vacations technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Holiday Vacations partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Xanterra Travel CollectioncoreXanterra Travel Collection is the parent company of Holiday Vacations. As part of this nationwide travel and hospitality company, Holiday Vacations offers one-of-a-kind experiences inside America's national parks. Xanterra is also the largest national park concessioner and includes sister companies such as Windstar Cruises.
- Windstar CruisesminorWindstar Cruises is a sister company under the Xanterra Travel Collection umbrella. Holiday Vacations partners with WindStar for certain tour offerings, allowing guests to experience luxury small-ship cruising as part of their vacation packages.
- Redpoint Travel ProtectionminorHoliday Vacations offers customized travel protection plans through Redpoint Travel Protection, a third-party provider. These plans offer coverage for trip cancellation, interruption, emergency medical, emergency evacuation/repatriation, and baggage delay. The company receives referral consideration for directing customers to this partner.
- Norwegian Cruise LinecoreNorwegian Cruise Line is a key cruise partner, providing ships such as the Pride of America for Hawaiian cruises and the Jade for Alaska itineraries. Holiday Vacations packages include pre- and post-cruise land components.
- Holland America LinecoreHolland America Line provides cruise experiences for Alaska and Panama Canal tours. The Rotterdam ship services Caribbean Islands & Panama Canal Cruise itineraries, and Noordam is used for North to Alaska tours.
- AMADEUS CruisescoreAMADEUS Cruises operates river cruise ships (AMADEUS Imperial, Amadeus Cara) used for European Danube and Rhine River cruises. The partnership provides luxury river cruise experiences integrated into Holiday Vacations tour packages.
- Rocky MountaineercoreRocky Mountaineer is a premier luxury rail service through the Canadian Rockies, featured in Holiday Vacations' Railroading in the Rockies tour. The partnership enables scenic rail journeys as part of Canadian tour packages.
- VIA RailminorVIA Rail provides passenger rail services in Canada, including The Ocean train used in Montreal-Quebec City-Canadian Maritimes tours. Holiday Vacations incorporates overnight rail experiences into Eastern Canada itineraries.
- Alaska RailroadminorAlaska Railroad provides scenic rail transportation for Alaska Tours & Kenai Fjords itineraries, offering travel through Fairbanks to Seward with views of the Alaskan wilderness.
- CroisiEuropeminorCroisiEurope operates the African Dream ship for Southern Africa's Wild Wonders: Land & Water Safari, combining luxury river cruising with safari experiences in Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Holiday Vacations competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Gate 1 Travel: Value-priced escorted tour operator with global itineraries including Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. Comparable in guided tour structure and breadth of destinations, though positioned at lower price points than Holiday Vacations.
- Collette: Family-owned guided tour operator offering fully escorted, all-inclusive tour packages across 60+ countries. Closest direct competitor to Holiday Vacations given similar all-inclusive model, comparable tour durations and pricing, and overlapping customer demographic of older North American leisure travelers.
- Globus Family of Brands: Operates Globus, Cosmos, and Monograms brands offering escorted, independent, and small-group guided tours worldwide. Comparable in product breadth (land + cruise), guided tour director model, and North American customer base to Holiday Vacations.
- Trafalgar Tours: Global guided tour operator with 350+ itineraries across all seven continents. Directly comparable to Holiday Vacations in escorted, all-inclusive tour format with professional tour directors and tiered product offerings (premium to luxury).
- Tauck: Family-owned luxury guided tour operator offering premium all-inclusive itineraries with strong national parks and river cruise product. Comparable to Holiday Vacations' Signature and Small Group Series in the upper end of the guided tour market.
- EF Go Ahead Tours: Guided tour operator offering small-group and standard escorted tours across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Comparable in small-group escorted format and all-inclusive packaging, with stronger Europe concentration than Holiday Vacations.
- Brendan Vacations: Escorted tour operator specializing in Ireland, Scotland, and broader Europe with guided and independent touring options. Comparable in the guided tour format and North American customer base, though narrower in destination coverage.
- Insight Vacations: Premium guided tour operator focused on Europe and North America with all-inclusive land and cruise-tour packages. Sister brand to Trafalgar under The Travel Corporation, comparable in product and demographic to Holiday Vacations' mid-to-upper tier.
Emerging players
- Adventures by Disney: Disney-branded guided group tours to 6 continents with family-focused itineraries. Comparable in escorted tour structure and all-inclusive pricing, but skews younger/family-oriented rather than the senior demographic Holiday Vacations serves.
- Viking Cruises: River and ocean cruise operator with destination-focused itineraries and included cultural experiences. Comparable to Holiday Vacations' cruise and land+cruise tours in product format, though Viking owns its fleet rather than reselling partner capacity.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Holiday Vacations social profiles
Digital presenceHoliday Vacations financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Holiday Vacations leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Holiday Vacations funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Holiday Vacations 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 Holiday Vacations
What does Holiday Vacations do?
Holiday Vacations sells fully-guided, all-inclusive tour packages spanning land, cruise, rail, and motorcoach formats across nine destination regions worldwide. Each package bundles round-trip airfare from 90+ U.S. airports, accommodations, ground transportation, baggage handling, many meals, attractions, gratuities, and the services of a professional tour director into a single price ranging from approximately $2,799 to $13,999 per person. The company supplements these packages with the Holiday Travelers Club loyalty program, optional Redpoint Travel Protection plans, the Holiday Traveler mobile app, and the Guest Portal for booking management.
Is Holiday Vacations a public or private company?
Holiday Vacations is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Holiday Vacations founded?
Holiday Vacations was founded in 1974.
Where is Holiday Vacations based?
Holiday Vacations is headquartered in Eau Claire, United States, in the North America region.
How does Holiday Vacations make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Tour Package Sales are the primary driver. The others are travel Protection Plans, loyalty Program Credits and referral Credits.
Who are Holiday Vacations's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Gate 1 Travel, Collette, Globus Family of Brands, Trafalgar Tours, Tauck, EF Go Ahead Tours, Brendan Vacations and Insight Vacations. Emerging players are Adventures by Disney and Viking Cruises.
Does Holiday Vacations have an API?
No public API is recorded for Holiday Vacations.
What industry is Holiday Vacations in?
Holiday Vacations's product category is Guided Tour Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKAOAF, Group & Small-Group Custom Itinerary Planning, with a secondary code of THAKADAA, Escorted Coach & Bus Package Tour Operators. Its NAICS code is 56152 and its SIC code is 7900.