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Trailfinders posts ‘record-breaking’ results

Pre-tax profits at Trailfinders rose nearly 52% year on year to £35.8 million.

Turnover was up 10.7% to £719.1 million in Trailfinders’ 2017-2018 financial year, which ran up to February 28.

Both pre-tax profits and turnover were record-breaking results for the agency chain.

In an update filed on Companies House, the chain, which has more than 30 branches and employs more than 1,000 staff, revealed that it had spent £10.1 million on charitable donations, £4.5 million in employer national insurance contributions, £5.8 million in corporation tax, £1.7 million in council tax and business rates, £800K in Atol fees and £24.5 million in Air Passenger Duty.

Founder and chairman Mike Gooley said: “This record-breaking performance shows how people value being able to arrange their travels quickly and easily in conversation with our knowledgeable consultants, while also giving Trailfinders the responsibility for the integrity of their travel plan.

“Thankfully it is not needed too much but having 24/7/365 support and all our resources is a further comfort to our clients should some unwelcome and unforeseen event threaten their holiday experience.”

Speaking to Travel Weekly, he added that he had no plans to look for outside investment and that Trailfinders would remain under family ownership.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t mend it,” Gooley said. “We have for all our 48 years grown organically with no acquisitions as they would bring different cultures requiring a crippling effort to align them with the core Trailfinders values and methods.

“Our model from the start has been different and original. [The staff are] more tour operators than just agents. Many clients have become disenchanted with D.I.Y. arrangements, realising that just one small flaw or oversight can doom your travel experience.

He said the firm was comfortable with expanding “gently and organically” and noted that branches had recently been opened in Worcester and Bath and two further stores are due to open in the spring.

The main driver of the company’s record-braking growth was “continuing to aspire to provide a faultless service and harnessing technology (where we have led the field since 1979”, Gooley added.

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