Trailfinders is a British travel company in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is the largest independently-owned travel company in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, and has 47 travel centres in the UK and Ireland. The company "specialises in tailormade travel worldwide" including Europe, Australia, New Zealand, North and South America, Asia and Africa. Uniquely, Trailfinders safeguard client money in an ATOL approved Trust Account until they return home from holiday.

History

Trailfinders was founded by former SAS-officer Sir Mike Gooley in October 1970 in an office on Earls Court Road in west London. In 1972 Trailfinders became the UK's first flight consolidator and advertised discounted air tickets in the national press. In 1979 the company became the first travel organiser to be IATA-licensed and to be granted an ATOL licence by the Civil Aviation Authority. In 1990 the company pioneered the concept of tailormade travel. Trailfinders is the largest independently owned travel company in the United Kingdom and employs over 1000 staff. It has made travel arrangements for over 16 million clients and has 47 travel centres in the UK and 3 in Ireland.

Awards

Trailfinders has won more than 100 national awards. Recent awards include: ''

Which? ''Which?'' is a United Kingdom brand name that promotes informed consumer choice in the purchase of goods and services by testing products, highlighting inferior products or services, raising awareness of consumer rights, and offering indepen ...

'' Awards - Travel Brand of the Year 2025 ''

Trustpilot Trustpilot Group plc, is a Danish consumer business operating a review website founded in Denmark in 2007 that hosts reviews of businesses worldwide. Nearly one-million new reviews are posted each month. The site offers freemium services to bu ...

'' - #1 Travel Agent ''

Wanderlust Wanderlust is a strong desire to wander or travel and explore the world. The term has its roots in German Romanticism. Etymology The first documented use of the term in English occurred in 1902 as a reflection of what was then seen as a chara ...

'' Travel Award - Favourite Tour Operator 2024 ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'', ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...

'' & The Sunday Times Travel Magazine Travel Awards - Best Tour Operator 2024 ''

'', ''

'' & The Sunday Times Travel Magazine Travel Awards - UK's Best Tour Operator 2018 ''Food & Travel'' Magazine Awards 2018, 2017 - Tour Operator of the year ''National Geographic Traveller'' 2017 - Travel Experts ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' - Most Trusted 2016 and Best Package Holiday Operator 2016 ''

The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are often names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * The Telegraph (Adelaide), ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaid ...

'' Travel Awards - Best Tour Operator 2014, 2012, 2011, 2008, 2007, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001 ''

'' Awards - Best Travel Company 2015 ''Which?'' Consumer Travel Survey - Best Holiday Company 2014, 2013 CLIA UK & Ireland Cruise Excellence Awards - High Street Travel Agent of the Year 2015, 2014

Ownership

Trailfinders was founded by Mike Gooley who is also the owner and executive chairman. Gooley was named Entrepreneur of the Year in the Consumer Services category at the inaugural EY National Entrepreneur of the Year awards in December 1999. In 2006 he was appointed a

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

for his services to the Travel Industry and to charity. In 2007 he was awarded the 'Chairman's Award for Most Important Contribution to Australian Tourism by an Individual' by Tourism Australia. In 2018 the ''Sunday Times Rich List'' named him as the UK's 21st most generous giver to charity. He was granted the rank of

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised Order of chivalry, orders of chivalry; it is a part of the Orders, decorations, and medals ...

for services to Business and Charity in the Queen's 2021 Birthday Honours List.

References

External links

Official website
{{Tourism in the United Kingdom Travel and holiday companies of the United Kingdom