Package holiday operators in the UK 2026: a ranking built on verified facts
A ranking of UK tour operators that sell package holidays, built only on verifiable facts: the ATOL licence number (checked against the Civil Aviation Authority's ATOL data), ABTA membership, the year the company started, whether the website names the company with its Companies House number, whether the booking conditions are published, and whether a holiday can be booked and paid for online. Every fact links to its source with the date we checked it. This is not advice to choose a particular operator. Places are not for sale.
| # | Company | Who it serves | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hays Travel | 89 | Yes | Yes | 1980 | Yes | Register Protection Member of the national association Online booking Online payment |
| 2 | Sunvil | 88 | Yes | Yes | 1970 | Yes | Register Protection Member of the national association Online booking |
| 3 | Thomas Cook | 83 | Yes | Yes | 2019 | Yes | Register Protection Member of the national association Online booking Online payment |
| 4 | Newmarket Holidays | 78 | Yes | Yes | 1983 | Yes | Register Protection Member of the national association Online booking |
| 5 | Virgin Atlantic Holidays | 78 | Yes | Yes | 1985 | Yes | Register Protection Member of the national association Online booking |
| 6 | Riviera Travel | 75 | Yes | Yes | Not verified | Yes | Register Protection Member of the national association Online booking Online payment |
| 7 | Explore Worldwide | 73 | Yes | Yes | 1981 | Yes | Register Protection Online booking |
| 8 | Exodus Adventure Travels | 71 | Yes | Yes | 1974 | Not verified | Register Protection Member of the national association Online payment |
| 9 | Jet2holidays | 71 | Yes | Yes | Not verified | Yes | Register Protection Member of the national association Online booking Online payment |
| 10 | Kuoni | 69 | Yes | Yes | Not verified | Yes | Register Protection Member of the national association Online booking |
| 11 | Inghams | 65 | Yes | Yes | 1934 | Not verified | Register Protection Member of the national association |
| 12 | Saga Holidays | 55 | Yes | Yes | 1951 | Not verified | Register Protection Member of the national association |
-
- In the official register
- Yes
- Insolvency protection
- Yes
- In business since
- 1980
- Online booking
- Yes
Pros
- Listed in the official register
- Customers' money is protected if the operator goes bust
- Holidays can be booked online
- Names its legal entity and registration number
Details Visit site ↗ 90% backed by facts
-
- In the official register
- Yes
- Insolvency protection
- Yes
- In business since
- 1970
- Online booking
- Yes
Pros
- Listed in the official register
- Customers' money is protected if the operator goes bust
- Holidays can be booked online
- Names its legal entity and registration number
Details Visit site ↗ 94% backed by facts
-
- In the official register
- Yes
- Insolvency protection
- Yes
- In business since
- 2019
- Online booking
- Yes
Pros
- Listed in the official register
- Customers' money is protected if the operator goes bust
- Holidays can be booked online
- Names its legal entity and registration number
Details Visit site ↗ 90% backed by facts
-
- In the official register
- Yes
- Insolvency protection
- Yes
- In business since
- 1983
- Online booking
- Yes
Pros
- Listed in the official register
- Customers' money is protected if the operator goes bust
- Holidays can be booked online
- Names its legal entity and registration number
Details Visit site ↗ 78% backed by facts
-
- In the official register
- Yes
- Insolvency protection
- Yes
- In business since
- 1985
- Online booking
- Yes
Pros
- Listed in the official register
- Customers' money is protected if the operator goes bust
- Holidays can be booked online
- Names its legal entity and registration number
Details Visit site ↗ 78% backed by facts
-
- In the official register
- Yes
- Insolvency protection
- Yes
- In business since
- Not verified
- Online booking
- Yes
Pros
- Listed in the official register
- Customers' money is protected if the operator goes bust
- Holidays can be booked online
- Names its legal entity and registration number
Details Visit site ↗ 75% backed by facts
-
- In the official register
- Yes
- Insolvency protection
- Yes
- In business since
- 1981
- Online booking
- Yes
Pros
- Listed in the official register
- Customers' money is protected if the operator goes bust
- Holidays can be booked online
- Names its legal entity and registration number
Details Visit site ↗ 79% backed by facts
-
- In the official register
- Yes
- Insolvency protection
- Yes
- In business since
- 1974
- Online booking
- Not verified
Pros
- Listed in the official register
- Customers' money is protected if the operator goes bust
- Names its legal entity and registration number
- Booking terms can be read before you pay
Details Visit site ↗ 71% backed by facts
-
- In the official register
- Yes
- Insolvency protection
- Yes
- In business since
- Not verified
- Online booking
- Yes
Pros
- Listed in the official register
- Customers' money is protected if the operator goes bust
- Holidays can be booked online
- Booking terms can be read before you pay
Cons
- Legal entity not stated on the website
Details Visit site ↗ 81% backed by facts
-
- In the official register
- Yes
- Insolvency protection
- Yes
- In business since
- Not verified
- Online booking
- Yes
Pros
- Listed in the official register
- Customers' money is protected if the operator goes bust
- Holidays can be booked online
- Names its legal entity and registration number
Details Visit site ↗ 69% backed by facts
-
- In the official register
- Yes
- Insolvency protection
- Yes
- In business since
- 1934
- Online booking
- Not verified
Pros
- Listed in the official register
- Customers' money is protected if the operator goes bust
- Names its legal entity and registration number
- Booking terms can be read before you pay
Details Visit site ↗ 65% backed by facts
-
- In the official register
- Yes
- Insolvency protection
- Yes
- In business since
- 1951
- Online booking
- Not verified
Pros
- Listed in the official register
- Customers' money is protected if the operator goes bust
- Booking terms can be read before you pay
- Long track record as a tour operator
Cons
- Legal entity not stated on the website
Details Visit site ↗ 65% backed by facts
How we calculate the Score
40%
Reliability
Listing in the national register of tour operators (or, in Germany, which has no licence, the commercial register), protection of customers' money if the operator becomes insolvent, the year the company started and membership of the national tour operators' association or fund.
25%
Transparency
Whether the website names the legal entity with its registration number, publishes the booking terms or contract before you pay, and gives an office address.
25%
Booking
Whether a holiday can be booked online on the operator's own website and paid for online, and the App Store rating of its own app where there is one.
10%
Destinations
How many countries or destinations the operator says it sells, counted only where the operator states the number itself.
How to choose a tour operator
Find the operator in the register
Your contract names the tour operator, even if you buy from an agent. Look that company up in the official register of your country and make sure the entry is current.
Check how your money is protected
If the operator goes bust, the guarantee or insolvency scheme pays for the return trip and refunds. Find out which scheme protects your booking and whether you receive a certificate or document confirming it.
Read the contract and booking terms
Before paying, read the cancellation charges, what happens if prices change, what is included (flights, transfers, meals, insurance) and the deadline for paying the balance.
Compare the same trip
Compare identical packages: the same hotel, room, meal plan, dates and flight times. A cheaper offer often has a worse flight, no transfer or a different room type.
Pay the operator or its official agent
Pay on the operator's own website or to an agent named in the contract, and keep the contract, receipts and vouchers. Check the web address before entering card details.
Know where to complain
First send a written claim to the operator. Then you can turn to the consumer protection authority, the association's dispute scheme or the guarantee scheme, and finally to court.
Frequently asked questions
What is ATOL protection?
ATOL (Air Travel Organisers' Licensing) is financial protection when you book a package trip that includes a flight. It is not travel insurance. The scheme was introduced in 1973 and is run by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
What is an ATOL Certificate?
Your travel company must give you an ATOL Certificate as soon as you pay any money for the trip, even a deposit. It is proof that the trip you booked is protected by the ATOL scheme.
How do I check an ATOL number?
Before booking, use the CAA's 'Check an ATOL' search on atol.org: search by ATOL number, company name or trading name to confirm the business holds an ATOL. Accommodation-only bookings are not ATOL protected because they do not include a flight.
Are packages without a flight protected?
The Package Travel Regulations 2018 (regulation 19) require every UK organiser of a package to provide security that refunds payments, and repatriates you if transport is included, if it becomes insolvent. For packages without a flight this is often a bond, for example one held by ABTA.
What does ABTA membership mean?
ABTA members must follow the ABTA Code of Conduct, and ABTA runs a government-approved alternative dispute resolution scheme for complaints against its members. Membership does not replace ATOL protection for flight-inclusive packages.