Virgin Atlantic Holidays

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A UK tour operator arranging long-haul holidays, packages, and tailored trips under the Virgin Atlantic brand.

Last updated November 4, 2026

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First read: Oct 29, 2026
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Overview

Virgin Atlantic Holidays is the holiday and tour-operating business formerly known as Virgin Holidays. It is part of the Virgin Group and is headquartered in Crawley, England, close to Virgin Atlantic’s operations. The business was created in 1985, one year after Virgin Atlantic began flying, and initially focused on selling holiday packages and seats on Virgin Atlantic services to destinations including New York, Miami, and Orlando. Over time, the company developed from an airline-linked holiday seller into a broad long-haul scheduled tour operator. Its destination portfolio has included the United States and Canada, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, the Indian Ocean, and the Far East. Its offer has covered packaged flights and accommodation, tailor-made holidays, luxury and boutique stays, ski travel, and cruise packages. The cruise activity operates under the Virgin Holidays Cruises name and packages cruises operated by other cruise companies. The business expanded through partnerships, retail distribution, and acquisitions. In 2008 it created Virgin Holidays + HIP Hotels with HIP Hotels, offering bespoke travel based around luxury and boutique properties. In the same year, following the collapse of XL Leisure Group, it acquired the assets and brand name of Travel City Direct. Travel City Direct was subsequently absorbed into the Virgin Holidays brand. In December 2009, Virgin Holidays announced the acquisition of Bales Worldwide, a smaller independent tour operator, adding another specialist travel capability to the group. Virgin Atlantic Holidays has also maintained a physical retail presence in the United Kingdom through standalone shops and concessions in Next stores. Its headquarters moved from the Galleria in 2015 to Aeronautics House, near Virgin Atlantic, while the longer-term plan involved a purpose-built building shared with Virgin Atlantic. The company’s brand identity was changed during the travel industry’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. On 5 May 2020, Virgin Holidays announced that it would be rebranded as Virgin Atlantic Holidays, bringing the holiday business more visibly under the airline brand. The full rebrand was completed in 2022. The change linked the holiday operation more directly with Virgin Atlantic’s flight network while retaining its role as a package-holiday and long-haul travel specialist. Virgin Atlantic Holidays also has a specialist Caribbean focus. In November 2019, musician Orville Richard Burrell, known professionally as Shaggy, was appointed Chief Caribbean Officer. The role formed part of the brand’s Caribbean marketing and destination activity. The company’s wider portfolio includes a cruise division headquartered in Crawley, a ski programme, and travel products spanning multiple long-haul regions. It also operates through offices in the United States and Canada in addition to its United Kingdom base.

History

Virgin Atlantic Holidays originated in 1985, shortly after the launch of Virgin Atlantic in June 1984. Its initial business model was closely tied to the airline: the company sold seats and holiday arrangements on Virgin Atlantic routes, including services to New York City, Miami, and Orlando. This airline-linked foundation gave it an initial concentration in long-haul leisure travel and provided a platform for growth as Virgin Atlantic expanded its network. The business subsequently broadened its role beyond selling seats on the parent airline. It became a major United Kingdom long-haul scheduled tour operator, offering combinations of air travel, accommodation, destination services, and specialist holiday formats. Its geographic coverage expanded to North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, the Indian Ocean, and the Far East. A ski programme and a specialist cruise operation were added to the wider holiday portfolio. The cruise operation has its own development history. It began in 2000 as Fast Track Holidays and was acquired by Virgin Holidays in 2007. At the time of the acquisition, the cruise business employed 80 people. It was renamed Virgin Holidays Cruises Limited on 15 June 2009. The division specialises in package arrangements involving cruises operated by other cruise lines, rather than presenting itself as a cruise-line operator. Virgin Holidays also pursued expansion through partnerships and acquisitions. In September 2008 it partnered with HIP Hotels to establish Virgin Holidays + HIP Hotels, a bespoke operator built around luxury and boutique hotels. The partnership later ended, and HIP Hotels was subsequently acquired by a private-equity firm. In December 2008, Virgin Holidays bought the assets and brand name of Travel City Direct from XL Leisure Group after that group collapsed in September of the same year. Travel City Direct was later merged into the Virgin Holidays brand. In December 2009, Virgin Holidays announced that it had acquired Bales Worldwide, another independent tour operator. Distribution combined direct retail with travel expertise. The company developed a network of United Kingdom retail concessions in Next stores, supplemented by standalone shops. In 2015 it left its long-standing base at The Galleria and moved to Aeronautics House near Virgin Atlantic. Although the initial move was described as temporary while the Galleria was refurbished, the company later announced plans to relocate to the Leonardo Building, a newly constructed facility associated with Virgin Atlantic. The Virgin Group also connected the holiday business with environmental investment. In September 2006, Richard Branson said that profits received by Virgin Group from Virgin Holidays would be directed toward research and investment in sustainable energy. The announcement placed the holiday business within a broader Virgin Group environmental initiative that also referred to profits from Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Rail Group. Caribbean travel became a visible area of brand activity. In November 2019, Jamaican-British musician Orville Richard Burrell, professionally known as Shaggy, was appointed Chief Caribbean Officer. The appointment supported the company’s Caribbean positioning and promotional work. The most significant recent brand change was the transition from Virgin Holidays to Virgin Atlantic Holidays. On 5 May 2020, during the COVID-19 outbreak and the resulting disruption to international travel, the company announced the planned rebrand. The full changeover took place in 2022. The new name made the relationship with Virgin Atlantic explicit while preserving the business’s wider role as a long-haul tour operator. Virgin Atlantic Holidays continues to cover package holidays, tailor-made travel, ski trips, cruises, and destination programmes across the company’s international markets.

2024
Annual report confirms Virgin Atlantic Limited ownership
[4]Virgin Atlantic 2024 Annual Reportcorporate.virginatlantic.com
Virgin Atlantic’s corporate structure lists Virgin Holidays Limited as a wholly owned company within Virgin Atlantic Limited.
2020
Virgin Holidays becomes Virgin Atlantic Holidays
[5]Virgin Atlantic: Our post-COVID-19 futurecorporate.virginatlantic.com
Virgin Atlantic announced that the holiday business would use the airline’s brand as part of a single-brand travel strategy, with greater emphasis on digital distribution.
2018
The World Is Your Playground campaign appears
[14]The World Is Your Playground campaign appearscom.prod.loyalty.virgin.com
Virgin’s later advertising retrospective identifies this Virgin Holidays campaign as a playful, fantasy-led portrayal of travel.
2017
Joe Thompson appointed Managing Director
[10]Virgin Holidays announces new leadershipvirginatlantic.com
Virgin Holidays announced Thompson’s appointment, succeeding Mark Anderson, with Dave Geer serving as interim managing director during the transition.
2016
Seize the Holiday campaign launches
[9]Virgin Holidays to unveil new brand campaign with live TV adverttravelweekly.co.uk
The campaign began with a live television advertisement drawing on footage from 18 locations, supported by a broader multimedia programme.
2015
Direct-sales strategy announced
[8]Virgin Holidays direct-sales strategy and v-room storescorporate.virginatlantic.com
Virgin Holidays announced a move away from third-party travel-agent distribution, emphasizing its own customer relationship, website, and retail estate.
2015
First v-room stores open
[8]Virgin Holidays direct-sales strategy and v-room storescorporate.virginatlantic.com
The company opened standalone v-room retail stores in several UK shopping locations and reported plans to extend the format.
2013
Unleash Your Mojo brand platform begins
[13]Unleash Your Mojo brand platform beginsmarketingweek.com
The brand introduced a campaign platform that ran until it was replaced by “Seize the Holiday” in 2016.
2009
Travel City Direct returns under Virgin Holidays ownership
[3]Virgin Atlantic press kit: company background and historyvirginatlantic.com
The acquired Florida-focused brand was revived by Virgin Holidays; the company also identified Bales Worldwide as an addition to its holiday portfolio.
2008
Travel City Direct assets acquired
[6]Virgin Holidays buys Travel City Directtravelweekly.co.uk
After XL Leisure Group collapsed, Virgin Holidays acquired the Travel City Direct name, trademarks, and customer database.
2001
Co-founder Ron Simms retires
[7]Tributes paid to Virgin Holidays co-founder Ron Simmstravelweekly.co.uk
A company tribute reported that Simms helped found Virgin Holidays in 1985 and retired after 16 years with the business.
1985
Virgin Holidays is established
[12]Virgin Holidays is establishedcorporate.virginatlantic.com
The tour operator launches to sell package holidays using seats on Virgin Atlantic routes, initially emphasizing long-haul breaks including Florida.

Products and positioning

A Virgin-branded, UK long-haul holiday specialist connecting package and tailor-made travel with Virgin Atlantic’s network, hotel partnerships, and customer-service proposition. Its range spans family, beach, cruise, ski, city-break, luxury, and bespoke holidays.

Package holidays · 1985
Long-haul package holidays
The core offer combines flights with accommodation and holiday arrangements, especially for long-haul destinations. The product developed from early Florida packages into a wider portfolio covering the United States, the Caribbean, Canada, and other international regions. Packages may include hotel stays, transfers, and destination-specific extras depending on the itinerary and offer.
Custom travel
Tailor-made and multi-destination holidays
Customers can arrange holidays around selected destinations, hotels, and trip components rather than choosing only a fixed package. The business describes multi-destination itineraries and holidays for larger groups among its offer. This flexible format supports combinations such as a city stay with a resort holiday, subject to current availability and booking terms.
Family travel · 1985
Family and Florida holidays
Florida was among the original destinations associated with Virgin Holidays, and family travel remains a recognizable part of the operator’s long-haul proposition. Trips can combine flights and accommodation with theme-park or other attraction tickets and car hire. Travel City Direct, acquired in 2008, added a well-known Florida specialist name to the portfolio.
Beach and resort holidays
Caribbean and all-inclusive holidays
The Caribbean became a major destination area as the business expanded beyond its initial US focus. Packages can feature beach resorts and all-inclusive stays, with hotel offers and destination arrangements varying by season. The company’s official descriptions identify the Caribbean as one of its principal destination regions.
Cruises
Cruise holidays
Virgin Holidays developed cruise travel as a specialist line, including the Virgin Holidays Cruises identity, which followed the addition of Fasttrack Cruises to the portfolio. Cruise-related holidays can combine a cruise with flights or other land arrangements; specific ships, itineraries, and package structures depend on the current programme.
Ski travel
Ski holidays
A specialist ski programme was part of the company’s expansion beyond standard long-haul beach and theme-park packages. Historical company material names Fasttrack Ski among the businesses that joined the holiday family. The precise current range is not established by the sources used for this entry.
Premium travel · 2008
Luxury and boutique hotel holidays
Premium travel includes holidays built around distinctive, higher-end accommodation. The Virgin Holidays + HIP Hotels partnership was presented as a way to serve customers seeking boutique properties, while the broader portfolio has included luxury hotels, villas, and tailored long-haul stays. Availability and branding have evolved over time.
Guided tours · 2009
Escorted tours
The acquisition of Bales Worldwide added an escorted-tour specialist to the group’s historical range. This broadened the company’s offer beyond flight-and-hotel packages toward structured touring itineraries. The sources establish the historical addition but do not confirm the current status of this particular branded product line.
Travel services
Travel components and extras
The current holiday platform describes packages that can incorporate villas, attraction tickets, car hire, and group travel arrangements. These elements let customers assemble more of a trip through one holiday operator rather than arranging every component separately. The exact components available depend on destination and booking.

Marketing campaigns

2018The World Is Your Playground
United Kingdom
A fantasy-led advertising campaign that presented travel through playful, surreal scenes, including imagined experiences associated with destinations such as Disney World and Las Vegas.
Outcome. The campaign is documented in Virgin’s retrospective of notable advertising; a specific commercial outcome is not reported there.
Source
2016Seize the Holiday
United Kingdom
A customer-focused, six-week multimedia campaign that launched with a live 60-second television advertisement assembled from footage streamed from 18 destinations. Other planned activity included customer social posts appearing on billboards and moving advertisements in the London Underground. It aimed to encourage customers to choose the holiday they really wanted and make long-haul travel feel attainable.
Outcome. The campaign replaced “Unleash Your Mojo.” The sources describe its launch and strategy but do not establish a measured campaign result.
Source
2013Unleash Your Mojo
United Kingdom
A brand advertising platform that ran from 2013 and framed holidays as an opportunity for personal renewal. It was replaced in 2016 by the more accessibility-focused “Seize the Holiday” platform.
Outcome. The campaign ran for several years before the brand introduced its 2016 repositioning.
Source
2010Rockstar Service
United Kingdom
A brand proposition built around Virgin Holidays’ promise of memorable customer service. It was launched by MCBD in 2010 and later replaced as the main advertising platform.
Outcome. The proposition ended when the brand appointed M&C Saatchi and moved to a new strategy and strapline.
Source
2010Burlesque Sale
United Kingdom
A cross-media New Year sales promotion used email, direct mail, television, radio, press, online activity, and point-of-sale materials. The campaign targeted prospects, existing loyalty members, and people who had previously booked family or couple holidays.
Outcome. The stated objectives were to increase brand awareness and bookings between Christmas and New Year; the case account does not provide a verified outcome figure.
Source
2005Red Hot News
United Kingdom
An email newsletter used destination-led, newspaper-style editorial to engage Virgin Holidays’ customer database. The company later sought to build stronger sales messages into its online communications to encourage bookings through its e-shop.
Outcome. The available case account describes the campaign’s strategy and commercial objective but does not provide a verified final sales result.
Source
Ready to Travel
United Kingdom
A targeted customer-communications programme redesigned to address uncertainty between booking and departure, helping customers feel informed and prepared for their trip.
Outcome. Adobe’s case study reports higher engagement with trip-update emails and an increase in upsells, but does not give a campaign year in the available material.
Source

Brand decisions

2020
Unify the airline and holiday brands as Virgin AtlanticStrategy
Background
The COVID-19 crisis coincided with a company-wide effort to simplify Virgin’s travel branding and connect the airline and holiday offer under one customer-facing identity.
Action taken
Virgin announced that Virgin Holidays would become Virgin Atlantic Holidays, with a continued focus on digital distribution and the Next partnership. It also announced that 15% of the holiday retail estate would close during 2020.
Aftermath
Virgin Atlantic Holidays became the public-facing holiday brand, while Virgin Holidays Limited continued as the legal company name in group records.
Source
2015
Move to a direct-sales distribution modelStrategy
Background
Virgin Holidays said it wanted to own more of the customer relationship and provide a more personalised, connected holiday experience. Its growing retail network and direct channels formed the basis for the change.
Action taken
The company announced that it would cease distributing through third-party travel agents and focus on direct sales through its own channels, including its website and retail estate.
Aftermath
Virgin Holidays continued developing v-room stores and digital customer services. The cited annual report describes the strategy and planned rollout, not a complete later assessment of its results.
Source
2009
Add Bales Worldwide to the holiday portfolioM&A
Background
Virgin Holidays sought to broaden its offer beyond its established scheduled long-haul package business, including specialist touring products.
Action taken
The company acquired Bales Worldwide, an escorted-tour specialist, according to its press background material.
Aftermath
The acquisition formed part of a broader period of portfolio expansion. The available source does not state the transaction price or provide a detailed later integration outcome.
Source
2008
Acquire Travel City Direct assets and trademarkM&A
Background
Travel City Direct belonged to XL Leisure Group, which entered administration in 2008. Virgin Holidays had assisted affected customers and saw the acquisition as a way to preserve a Florida holiday brand and serve its customer base.
Action taken
Virgin Holidays bought the Travel City Direct name, trademark rights, and customer database for an undisclosed sum and subsequently revived the brand.
Aftermath
The acquisition expanded the operator’s Florida offer and transferred the brand into Virgin Holidays’ portfolio. No purchase price was disclosed in the cited coverage.
Source

Recent events

2020.05.05
Virgin Holidays to become Virgin Atlantic Holidays[18]Virgin Holidays将更名为Virgin Atlantic Holidaysbreakingtravelnews.com
As part of Virgin Atlantic's restructuring, the company announced that Virgin Holidays would become Virgin Atlantic Holidays, focusing on one brand and simplifying the operation for customers.
Unconfirmed
Reported2019.10.28
Virgin Holidays opens a v room store on Bond Street[19]Virgin Holidays在邦德街开设v room门店chelmsfordcitynews.co.uk
Virgin Holidays launched a new v room store on Bond Street, offering customers a holiday-booking experience.

Sources19 sources

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