Virgin Atlantic Holidays
Corporate brand
UnclaimedVirgin Atlantic Holidays is a Virgin Group long-haul tour operator offering package holidays, cruises, ski trips, and tailor-made travel.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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.
- 2022
Virgin Atlantic Holidays rebrand completed
[1]The full transition from Virgin Holidays to Virgin Atlantic Holidays is completed.
- 2020
Rebrand announced
[1]The company announces that Virgin Holidays will become Virgin Atlantic Holidays during the COVID-19 period.
- 2019
Shaggy becomes Chief Caribbean Officer
[1]Orville Richard Burrell is appointed to a Caribbean-focused brand role.
- 2015
Headquarters move from The Galleria
[1]Virgin Holidays moves to Aeronautics House near Virgin Atlantic and later plans a move to the Leonardo Building.
- 2009
Bales Worldwide acquired
[1]Virgin Holidays announces the purchase of independent tour operator Bales Worldwide.
- 2009
Cruise division adopts Virgin Holidays Cruises name
[1]The cruise business is officially renamed Virgin Holidays Cruises Limited on 15 June.
- 2008
HIP Hotels partnership launches
[1]Virgin Holidays and HIP Hotels create a bespoke luxury and boutique-hotel travel operator.
- 2008
Travel City Direct assets acquired
[1]Virgin Holidays acquires the Travel City Direct assets and brand after the failure of XL Leisure Group.
- 2007
Virgin Holidays acquires the cruise business
[1]Virgin Holidays acquires Fast Track Holidays, bringing its cruise-package operation into the Virgin portfolio.
- 2006
Environmental investment commitment announced
[1]Richard Branson announces that Virgin Group profits from Virgin Holidays will support sustainable-energy research and investment.
Showing the 10 most recent.
Products and positioning
A Virgin-branded, long-haul holiday specialist combining package-tour operations with access to Virgin Atlantic’s network and a portfolio of destination, cruise, ski, and tailor-made travel products.
Package holidays · 1985
Long-haul package holidays
The company’s core offer combines long-haul flights, accommodation, and related holiday arrangements. Destinations have included North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, the Indian Ocean, and the Far East, with the business historically drawing on Virgin Atlantic’s scheduled route network.
Cruise holidays · 2000
Virgin Holidays Cruises
Virgin Holidays Cruises is the company’s specialist cruise division. It packages cruises operated by other cruise lines with associated travel arrangements, giving customers a combined holiday product rather than operating ships itself.
Ski holidays
Ski programme
The ski programme extends the brand beyond warm-weather and long-haul beach destinations into organised ski travel. Specific resorts and product details are not established in the supplied reference material.
Bespoke travel · 2008
Luxury and tailor-made holidays
Virgin Atlantic Holidays offers specialist and bespoke travel built around destination planning, premium accommodation, and individual customer requirements. Its former HIP Hotels partnership illustrates the brand’s participation in luxury and boutique-hotel travel.
Destination holidays
Caribbean holidays
Caribbean travel is a prominent destination category for the brand. The company has supported this positioning through dedicated Caribbean activity, including the appointment of Shaggy as Chief Caribbean Officer in 2019.
Marketing campaigns
- 2019Chief Caribbean Officer initiative
Caribbean · United Kingdom
The appointment of Shaggy as Chief Caribbean Officer gave the company a high-profile Caribbean-facing ambassadorial and promotional role.
- 2008Virgin Holidays + HIP Hotels
United Kingdom · Worldwide luxury and boutique destinations
Virgin Holidays partnered with HIP Hotels to create a bespoke tour operator focused on luxury and boutique hotels around the world.
Outcome. The partnership later ended; the supplied reference does not specify the end date or commercial results.
Brand decisions
2020
Rebrand from Virgin Holidays to Virgin Atlantic HolidaysStrategyBackground
The rebrand was announced during the COVID-19 outbreak, when international travel and airline-linked holiday businesses were facing major disruption.
Action taken
The company announced that Virgin Holidays would adopt the Virgin Atlantic Holidays name, with the full rebrand completed in 2022.
Aftermath
The holiday operation became more visibly connected to the Virgin Atlantic identity while retaining its broader tour-operating activities.
2009
Acquisition of Bales WorldwideM&ABackground
Bales Worldwide was a small independent tour operator with specialist travel capabilities.
Action taken
Virgin Holidays announced that it had bought Bales Worldwide.
2008
Acquisition of Travel City Direct assetsM&ABackground
XL Leisure Group collapsed in September 2008, creating an opportunity to acquire Travel City Direct’s assets and brand.
Action taken
Virgin Holidays purchased the assets and brand name of Travel City Direct.
Aftermath
Travel City Direct was subsequently merged into the Virgin Holidays brand.
2007
Acquisition of Fast Track HolidaysM&ABackground
Fast Track Holidays had operated a cruise business since 2000, and Virgin Holidays sought to add specialist cruise packaging to its travel portfolio.
Action taken
Virgin Holidays acquired the business for an undisclosed sum and incorporated it into the Virgin Holidays operation.
Aftermath
The cruise activity later became Virgin Holidays Cruises Limited.
Recent events
- 2020
Virgin Holidays announces rebrand as Virgin Atlantic Holidays[1]
Other
During the COVID-19 period, Virgin Holidays announced that it would adopt the Virgin Atlantic Holidays name. The full rebrand was completed in 2022.
- 2019
Shaggy appointed Chief Caribbean Officer[1]
Campaign · Leadership change
Virgin Holidays appointed musician Orville Richard Burrell, known as Shaggy, to a Chief Caribbean Officer role connected with the brand’s Caribbean activity.
- 2009
Virgin Holidays announces acquisition of Bales Worldwide[1]
M&A
The company announced the purchase of the independent tour operator Bales Worldwide, expanding its specialist holiday operations.
- 2008
Virgin Holidays launches partnership with HIP Hotels[1]
Campaign · Other
Virgin Holidays and HIP Hotels introduced a bespoke tour-operator partnership focused on luxury and boutique hotels worldwide.
- 2008
Virgin Holidays acquires Travel City Direct assets and brand[1]
M&A
Virgin Holidays acquired the assets and brand name of Travel City Direct after the collapse of its parent, XL Leisure Group. Travel City Direct was later integrated into Virgin Holidays.
Sources2 sources
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