Expat Explore, founded by Carl and Jakes, began with £800 and a vision to provide affordable group tours. Today, the company is valued at £40 million, having served over 180,000 travelers across 50 countries. Group travel is experiencing growth, with millions of UK adults participating in tours. Carl's travel passion was ignited by winning a ticket to Paris, while Jakes’ interest stemmed from a scholarship. Recognizing a market gap, they started with a second-hand minibus and operated their first tours with minimal resources, strategically managing their bookings to navigate tight cash flow.
Group travel is enjoying a resurgence. According to industry figures, 5.36 million UK adults have taken a group touring or adventure holiday in the past five years, with solo travel also on the rise.
Twenty years ago, travel was out of reach for many people. We wanted to change that.
With just £800 in the bank, they bought a second-hand minibus for £500 and ran their first Paris tour in March 2005 for 42 paying guests.
Carl's passion for travel was sparked when he won a return British Airways ticket to anywhere in Europe. I chose Paris, walked everywhere, spoke terrible French, and came back knowing travel was going to be part of my life.
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