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The 10 Best Group Travel Tour Companies for 2023

Caroline Morse Teel

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her adventures around the world on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

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For those truly epic, once-in-a-lifetime destinations, you want to leave your itinerary to the experts. Whether your dream is to see the Big Five on an African Safari, trek tall mountains, explore European cities, or something even wilder, a group tour is the easiest way to do it.

However, picking the wrong group tour company is the quickest way to ruin your trip. Make sure you choose a tour company that aligns with your goals and travel styles. Do you want an intimate group tour or do you prefer to make lots of new friends in a big group? Does the price line up with what you like (luxury vs. budget)? Is the itinerary going to all the places you want to see? 

We’ve done the research and found the very best group travel tour companies for 2023 for every type of traveler.

Best Overall Group Travel: Exodus Travels

With trips on every continent, Exodus Travels covers anywhere on this planet that you could possibly want to go, from popular destinations like the Amalfi Coast to well off-the-beaten path adventures like Tajikistan. This award-winning group travel company boasts thousands of repeat customers who sign up for trips year after year (97% of past participants would recommend Exodus Travels to a friend). 

These small group tours operate with only around 12-16 people, and always feature experienced local leaders who can give you a unique insight into your destination. Exodus Travels caters to any type of travel style, including trips broken down by type of activity (think walking, cycling, multi-adventure, winter, or cultural) as well as type of traveler (family, age group, etc.). There are curated collections (coastal, “away from it all”, European wilderness, and trips of a lifetime) to inspire you, as well as self-guided options for when you want all the benefits of a group tour planner without the actual group. Looking for that special safari? Exodus Travels just partners with the African Wildlife Foundation to create carefully curated luxury adventures that go above and beyond the standard safari. 

Exodus Travels tours work for almost any budget, with options that range from affordable to premium. 

Top Trip: Explore under-the-radar Europe by foot on Exodus Travels’ Lakes & Mountains of Slovenia walking tour .

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Best Adventure Group Travel: World Expeditions

World Expeditions has been taking adventurous travelers to remote locations all over the world ever since its first group trek through Nepal in 1975. Today, World Expeditions offers active itineraries on every continent. Intrepid travelers can opt for trips themed around mountaineering, rafting, cycling, hiking, and more. 

World Expeditions aims to leave communities and places where they operate tours better than they found them. Trips are created using the company’s Thoughtful Travel Charter as a guideline, which emphasizes respect for the environment, sustainability, having a positive impact on local communities, protecting wildlife, and more. 

World Expeditions’ trips are capped at just 16 people to provide a good experience for participants, and there are no single supplements for solo travelers willing to share a room with someone of the same gender. 

Top Trip: Summit Africa’s tallest mountain on a fully-supported trek up Kilimanjaro on World Expeditions’ eight day trip up the beautiful Lemosho Route . 

Best Budget Group Travel: G Adventures 

For travelers on a budget, G Adventures offers cheap group tours that make dream destinations accessible to nearly anyone. (Think: sailing the Galapagos for just $1,124 , criss-crossing India’s Golden Triangle for $559 , or spending 8 days in Bali for less than $800.)

G Adventures is one of the best tour companies for solo travelers as well, as most trips don’t have a single-supplement. You can choose to share a room with another G Adventures solo traveler, or pay extra to have your own space.

G Adventures keeps costs down by opting for cheaper hotels and local meals, and making certain activities optional (for an additional cost). Pick your travel style—options range from “basic” to more luxe tours run in partnership with National Geographic. Family tours, local living tours (featuring homestays), and wellness-focused tours are also available. 

Top Trip: G Adventures’ China Express trip is a great way to see the highlights of China if you’re short on both time and budget. 

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Best Educational Group Tours: EF Go Ahead Tours

When you really want to learn about a destination, consider a group trip with EF Go Ahead Tours . EF is the world’s largest private education company, and the Go Ahead Tours arm capitalizes on the company’s relationships with local educators, historians, and tour guides to create group trips that take you deep into a destination. 

These small group tours generally cap at 38 travelers, and feature unique educational experiences. For a bucket list trip, EF Go Ahead Tour’s special event tours are particularly enticing, as they offer behind-the-scenes access to tough-to-plan trips like Oktoberfest in Munich or Cherry Blossom season in Japan. 

Intimidated by solo travel? EF Go Ahead Tours is a great option for solo travelers, since it offers designated trips for solo travelers , where everyone is traveling alone, making it less intimidating.  

Top Trip: Bring the tastes of Italy home with you on EF Go Ahead Tours’ Food & Wine: Piedmont & Tuscany tour (operated in partnership with America’s Test Kitchen), where you’ll learn how to make local dishes. 

Best Responsible Group Travel: Intrepid Travel

Looking for a responsible group travel operator that focuses on bettering the communities and destinations they visit? Intrepid Travel is the world’s largest travel B Corporation, a certification for companies doing good. 

Intrepid Travel’s tours focus on sustainability, diversity, inclusion, and sustaining communities. The company has its own charity, The Intrepid Foundation , which has donated over 7 million dollars to over 130 community organizations. 

Intrepid Travel’s small group tours attract a wide range of travelers, but they are especially great for younger travelers, as they have a large number of trips designed for people aged 18-29 . (Other trips, including family-focused trips, are geared toward any age.)

Top Trip: Experience unforgettable wildlife encounters on Intrepid Travel’s Premium Uganda & Rwanda trip which includes time with the mountain gorillas of Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. 

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Best Private Group Travel: Kensington Tours

Whether your group consists of just two people or involves taking the entire extended family, Kensington Tours will take all the hassle of planning out of the equation. This private group operator creates personalized trips and itineraries tailored to your preferences, while their experts handle all the logistics and bookings. 

Plans are entirely flexible, and can even be changed while on the trip on a whim. Need some inspiration? Browse Kensington Tours’ travel ideas , to get some ideas for your next adventure. 

Top Trip: Sail around the stunning shores of Croatia and the Dalmation Islands on a private luxury catamaran on Kensington Tours’ fully customizable tour . 

Best Polar Group Travel: Chimu Adventures

Whether you’re headed north to the Artic or south to Antarctica, Chimu Adventures has the perfect polar group trip for you. Chimu Adventures has some of the most variety for polar trips, with options to fly, cruise, or a combination of both to get to your destination.

For an ultra-unique Antarctica trip, Chimu Adventures offers cruises departing from Australia or New Zealand (most Antarctica trips depart from Argentina). Can’t stay long? Book one of Chimu Adventures’ scenic flights to Antarctica , which fly as far as the south pole in one spectacular 16-hour day.

Chimu Adventures is one of the cheapest group trips to Antarctica, with rates starting under $5,000.

Top Trip: If you’re pressed for time (or simply don’t have the stomach for the Drake Passage), Chimu Adventures’ Antarctica Fly Cruise will get you to the ends of the earth quickly and smoothly.

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Best Group Tours for Solo Travelers: For the Love of Travel

Group tours can be a great way to meet new people, but they can sometimes skew on the older age range. If you’re between 25-39 and a solo traveler looking to meet new people, you’ll love For the Love of Travel . All participants on the trips are between 25-39, and according to the company, 80 percent are solo travelers—so you’ll make friends fast. Hoping to meet someone who will be more than just a friend on your next trip? Trips include a balanced number of “gal and guy spots” to ensure an even balance of genders within groups (and of course, non-binary genders are always welcome). 

For the Love of Travel offers weeklong (or longer) international trips as well as shorter weekender trips to nearby destinations like Mexico or Denver—perfect for people without a lot of vacation time.

Top Trip: Sleep in a glass igloo under the Northern Lights, go sledding with huskies, and warm up in traditional saunas on For the Love of Travel’s Lapland tour , already booking dates for 2024.

Best Biking Tours Group Travel: DuVine Cycling

Biking through the rolling hills of Italy or across the mountain roads of Chile sounds like a dream, but the logistics seem daunting (especially if you don’t want to haul all your own stuff from point-to-point). Enter: DuVine Cycling , a luxury small group tour company that specializes in bike trips. 

With trips across Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the United States, DuVine Cycling is a cyclist’s dream. Choose from all-biking trips or mix things up with a cycle and sail bike tour or a multi-sport adventure —no matter what, everything is included, from luxury boutique accommodations to top-quality name brand bikes. 

Top Trip: DuVine’s Holland Bike Tour promises “tulips, windmills, beer, and cheese”—what more could you need?

Best Luxury Group Travel: Abercrombie & Kent

Abercrombie & Kent has been delighting discerning travelers since 1962. Today, they take travelers on unforgettable adventures across over 100 different countries and all seven continents. Although Abercrombie & Kent’s trips are pricey, they encompass once-in-a-lifetime experiences like private jet tours around the world or luxury chartered cruises .

There are trips designed for solo travelers and families , and the small group journeys max out at around 14-18 guests.

Top Trip: Swim with whale sharks in the Philippines, feed proboscis monkeys in Malaysia, and photograph wild tigers in India on Abercrombie & Kent’s Wildlife Safari: Around the World by Private Jet trip , already booking dates into 2024.

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The Definitive “How To” Guide to Selling Group Travel

• October 7, 2021

Selling group travel is one of the best ways to scale your travel business with minimal effort.  Adding just a few travel groups to your normal travel business forecast each year can really accelerate your profits. I know some travel advisors who only book groups because they are so lucrative. 

The first step is to find your group. Check out,  5 Insider Ways to Find Affinity Travel Groups to get started. 

As with anything, it can be daunting when you begin. You’ve heard the expression…

“It’s like herding cats!”

It can seem like that if you don’t have systems in place. This “How-To” guide will walk you through some of the top things to keep in mind as you launch your group travel fiefdom . 

Choose group itineraries within your niche

Choosing to stay within your niche as you start selling groups is sound advice. There are so many moving parts to booking group travel that I would keep to a destination that you know well. You can always expand later.

Find reputable suppliers

If I was just getting my feet wet with booking group travel, I would stick with a supplier in North America that specialized in group bookings. All cruise lines have affinity group departments. However, if you are looking to build an itinerary for a speciality group, look for a company that has a groups-only division. 

You’ll want to look for a company that has been around for a while. One where you can build a relationship with their group representative and one that has a 24/7 support system. 

I recommend sending out an RFP for your group to at least three separate companies and then interviewing each to find the best fit. The booking process for groups is a long one, so you’ll want to find someone with whom you gel and who has a calm demeanour.

While price is an important factor, in my experience, when it comes to group travel, you get what you pay for. A good group representative that you trust and you know will go to bat for you if necessary is equal to the value of finding a great hairstylist. You know what I’m talkin’ about.

Once you have a few groups under your belt, I’d suggest sourcing your own contacts. A good starting point would be to attend one of the big travel shows such as World Travel Market , ITB or similar. Alternatively, attend one of the smaller shows where top tour operators within your niche congregate.

The apple vs. the orange

Once you receive your group quotes from suppliers, you’ll notice they will all look quite  different. Be sure that you are fairly comparing the quotes from each company. Here’s a list of some of the things you’ll want to take into account:

• How long can you hold space with or without deposit
• What is the deposit and is it refundable. At what point is it non-refundable? 
• What are the payment terms
• What is the per person cost
• # of FOCs (see below) per group members
• Do they have round-the-clock support
• What are all the inclusions

I have yet to find a supplier that isn’t equally motivated to sell group travel. It’s a great business model, so don’t just take an opening bid as being set in stone. If it’s a question of one or two points separating competing suppliers from each other, you can always ask for more favourable terms – and you’ll most likely get what you want.

The devil is in the details

A successful group travel advisor has to be organized and luckily, there are a ton of tools to keep you on track. If you belong to a host agency, they may have their own tech tools you can use. I have always used Google docs. You can send out forms via Google docs to collect client information.

You’ll want to keep information such as dietary requirements, medical notes, passport names and numbers, birthdays, – (in case any should fall within the dates of travel) all in one place.

Set expectations with the group leader early

Save yourself bottles of Tylenol by clearly laying down your expectations of the group leader.

Typically, but not always, the group leader is expected to market the group to their following. In return for doing so, their travel costs are covered FOC. 

There is no hard and fast rule on what role a group leader should take. In many cases, the group leader will handle the marketing and the coordination of the group. Depending on the calibre of the leader you have, they may not want that responsibility but someone has to do it and I highly recommend that person isn’t you. 

Get this wrong, and you won’t need a fancy hairstylist because you won’t have any hair left. If it makes sense financially, you can always add in a cost for a group coordinator to help you. However as you are starting out, I would suggest the group leader takes on these responsibilities. As you get more comfortable selling groups, you can always hire a VA (virtual assistant) to help out.

At the very least, be sure to map out your expectations with the group leader verbally and then follow up with what was agreed on in writing. You’re welcome.

Book well in advance

It’s going to take a few weeks of communication with a supplier before you settle on the best itinerary for your group. It just does. Once the planning phase is complete, you’ll want enough time to market the group.

Especially if this is a first-time group that doesn’t already travel together regularly. The idea will need time to germinate. 18 months of planning is a good rule of thumb.

It’s time to market

Often, the group leader will do much of the work in coordinating and finding group members to travel but that doesn’t mean that you should completely move to the backseat. If you are working with a Facebook group, you’ll want to go live to answer any questions.

And even if you didn’t find your group through Facebook, I would still highly recommend that you create a Facebook group specifically for this travel group. 

You may also want to offer a number of webinars via Zoom to walk the group through the details of the tour. Some suppliers will offer this service but if you are booking travel inside of your niche, then I really do think you need to take the stage on these presentations and showcase yourself as the expert. You can use Canva.com to create jaw-dropping presentations to wow the audience.

Start small, go slow and then grow

As mentioned earlier, booking group travel can seem complicated when you are getting started. That’s why I  recommend that you start small and grow this side of your business as you get more comfortable.

Once you do the initial work in setting up your systems, you can replicate the model over and over. Why not? Selling a yoga meditation group to Bali through one wellness influencer could easily be copied and promoted to another wellness influencer. Rinse and repeat…as they say.

Become a crock-pot

The best group advisors treat their groups like a delicious, simmering harvest stew, adding spices along the way to bring out the best flavour. That’s another reason why starting small is a good idea. A perfect group requires consistent attention to keep the interest piqued. 

Once a member signs on, I’d tag them inside your email service provider and then build out an email sequence that drips out teasers and content weekly or bi-weekly until the date of departure. Remember, once you build out the sequence, you can put it on auto-pilot. 

You could do a countdown to departure. You could recommend books to read on the destination, offer packing tips or travel trivia.

Consider additional revenue streams by becoming an affiliate seller for synergistic travel products that would accentuate the experience for your group members. I go much deeper into the world of affiliate marketing in my upcoming course . For now, if you are interested to learn more, you can book an appointment with me below.  I’ll walk you through the process.

Offer a full-service group experience

When it comes to selling group travel, I say, “in for a penny, in for a pound.” The more seamless you make the booking experience for your group members, the more you’ll be remembered. For example, booking group air can be challenging. Sometimes rules for group air don’t even make sense and you might be tempted to let members book their air travel independently. Don’t. 

There are benefits to booking group air with the groups department of an airline but they aren’t financial. Group air is often priced higher than individual airline tickets but you’ll get the advantage of your group travelling together. In addition, there is more flexibility in payment terms when it comes to securing group air seats

Keep in mind you can book up to 9 people on a PNR. It might make sense to divide your group into smaller sub-groups to take advantage of lower seat costs. But more than two sub-groups and most airlines will raise a flag and automatically cancel your group – resulting in you going the group air route whether you want to or not.

And be sure to take advantage of offering group insurance as well. All of these extras not only make the booking experience easier for your client but you’ll end up with multiple streams of revenue.

Take advantage of the travel high – strike when the iron is hot

Selling group travel has many benefits. Not only can you take all your planning and preparation and repackage it to a new group, but you can also take your existing group and offer up the next adventure before they unpack. You don’t have to have all the details mapped out but if you at least have an outline of the next trip ready to go. 

 You’d be surprised by how many will sign up immediately to secure their space. They are still riding the travel high. It’s the perfect time to get them to commit to the next destination.

Exceed expectations and deliver a WOW factor

Finding groups is often the most challenging part. It takes a while to gain the know/like and trust factor with your group leader. But once you have it….ah….you can ride the momentum wave. And you’ll do this by exceeding expectations. 

The most successful group advisors are masters at this. You’ll want to build a few surprises into the tour that will leave the members amazed. It could be a special dinner, an activity, a souvenir or all of the above. The key is that you exceed the travellers’ expectations.  

It’s amazing how even the smallest gestures leave an indelible positive impression. The more thoughtful the surprise, the deeper the connection you’ll build with the group members.

Having a welcome home gift for the group leader is a nice touch too. The cost to retain a client is always far less than the cost of obtaining a new client.

Marketing travel groups help grow your email list

Finally, a spill-off advantage to marketing groups is that it’s a great way to grow your email list. If your group leader has a large following, with the correct offer, you can entice them to join your email list. Even if they don’t all end up booking with you. 

Not to mention those that do travel may come back to you for their non-group travel requests.

The best bit about selling group travel is that once you’ve mastered the finer details, you’ve laid the groundwork and set up systems to run on auto-pilot, you can scale and catapult your business easily into the 6-figure stratosphere.

And we like that!

Again, if you missed my earlier article, you can find it here:  5 Insider Ways to Find Affinity Travel Groups .

If you found this article helpful, give it a share.

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How To Start Your Own Travel Club – Part 1

A travel club is an organization that plans group trips to various destinations around the world. Here’s why you should start your own and how to get started!

A   successful travel club comes as a result of a carefully orchestrated plan of-attack. The sales and marketing process is often feared, resented and avoided by just about everybody at one time or another. But it doesn’t have to be difficult, nor beyond the budgetary constraints of most folks. It does, however, demand a certain level of know-how and a modest degree of discipline. Selling, above all, demands consistency and has little room for half-hearted attempts.

In this three-part series we will layout everything you need to know about starting and marketing your own travel club. If this concept interests you further, there is an entire book dedicated to the subject called Traveling Tribes .

• Part 1 will discuss the steps for implementing a successful travel club sales campaign.
• Part 2 will address the four myths that prevent most sales & marketing professionals from becoming more successful.
• Part 3 will highlight 11 Sales & Marketing Mistakes that need to be recognized and avoided at all costs.

Part 1: Why Group Travel Clubs Make Sense

• Organizations are seeking new ways to connect with members, subscribers, customers or their communities
• More people are traveling but want to avoid the hassles associated with planning your own trip
• It’s more difficult than ever for consumers to make smart travel decisions with the proliferation of choices available
• Travel in a group environment is an enjoyable, shared experience that builds bonds between you and your fellow travelers
• Travel can satisfy an educational or organizational mission

Now that you have a better understanding of why travel clubs are important, you need to determine if the development of a travel club will broaden your appeal within desirable demographic. If you’re looking for new ways to create fun activities and help people become more active this might be worth a shot. If you’re looking for a new source of income, group travel trips can raise tens of thousands of dollars per year for your organization. If you are looking to travel for free, or at extremely discounted prices you can, thanks to generous group leader benefits.

What Types of Organizations Create Group Travel Clubs?

It’s safe to say that nearly all types of organizations can benefit from a travel club. Here are 10 top markets that have successfully implemented travel club concepts:

• Restaurants & Bars
• Associations
• Specialty sports retailers
• Theaters and Cultural Institutions
• Colleges, universities and other learning institutions

Taking the Next Step…Implementing a Successful Travel Club Sales Campaign

Step 1. establish your “usp”.

This is your UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION. It addresses the question, “Why Should I Travel With Your Organization?” If you don’t know why I should hook my wagon to your horse, why should I take the time to figure it out?

“You are the most honest… hard working … brightest …cheapest… most savvy….most knowledgeable…..most fun….most creative……you know the right people … and you were born under the right sign”. Stay away from these textbook, dime-a-dozen responses. Winging glib replies to potentially interested travelers won’t get many people interested in you or your travel program.

Why would anyone in their right mind choose to sign-up for one of your trips is what you need to think about on an ongoing basis? Why you? Finding the answer to this question is going to be harder than it first appears. But the answer will be twice as important as you ever imagined.

Start by thinking about the likes and dislikes of your existing customers. Take a minute and jot down the thoughts that pop into your head in response to these seven questions below. Trust me. This time will be a very good start as you begin to fine-tune your marketing approach by design.

• What travel-related problems are they concerned with?
• Are you in position to make their lives more interesting, exciting and enjoyable?
• How will you save your customers time, money… and effort?
• How can you help them minimize bad travel related choices?
• How will you minimize their frustrations?
• Will you provide them an easier way to experience the world?
• How can you help educate them so that they can make more effective travel- related decisions in the future?

Step 2. Define Your Territory

Avoid chasing rainbows.  Is it a coincidence that today’s professional athlete earns a tremendous amount of money working within a defined, bordered, clearly marked playing field? Their athletic abilities can be focused within a specific area of play. They know exactly where they need to be at all times. Is it a coincidence that today’s major corporations hire national sales managers…regional managers… territory managers… and product managers? Top-level management also knows that their finest sales people can’t be all places at all times. They make their living between clearly drawn boundaries. This is the way winners do it. This is the way winners win.

In order to compete effectively today, regardless of the industry or specific product or service, you must place yourself in an imaginary arena where you too can focus on specific objectives, goals and potential clients. Failure to narrow your “market” to a definable area will do nothing but confuse your thinking and introduce a “gray area” thereby diluting your sales effort.

It is virtually impossible to be all things to all people. But it is easy to satisfy the needs and wants of a specifically targeted group – which falls within a specifically defined territory, which has a specifically defined need, or problem. A territory is a defined location that you can envision … and understand… and develop a reputation in. Of course you will expand your territory in time, but begin by making it small enough to work for you. For the sake of this report, your territory can involve geographic boundaries or it can consist of a defined demographic profile of customer.

Step 3. A Strategy For Launching Your Travel Club

The next step is to decide how you are going to approach the candidates, or prospects for your travel club. Rather than to quickly read through this information, let’s take a minute to record your initial thoughts for each question below:

• How are you going to introduce yourself?
• Can you improve the comfort level?
• How will you improve your awareness level?
• How are you going to communicate with them?
• How can you going to create an environment where they will warmly invite you in and give you their attention while listening to what you have to say?

Narrowing the many marketing possibilities down to the few that make the most sense to you … to your personality… to your budget … and to your time frame becomes a very important decision.

The options include direct mail, e-newsletters, cold calling, social media, press releases, seminars, trade shows, networking, referral chains, writing articles, and public speaking.

It is immaterial which strategy you decide to use. When administered properly, all marketing gambits have been proven to work. But regardless of your final decision, you must commit to a consistent approach.

Making the list is simple. You must now decide how often you are going to utilize these tactics. This of course will be determined by many personal factors. Not the least being your budget. An acceptable guideline: Be prepared to contact each of your prospects a minimum of seven (7) times in each eighteen (18) month period. You should feel comfortable investing the time and effort to contact each prospect a minimum of 7 times.

Step 4. Develop a Traveler Profile

This will save you many hours of needless frustration and “wheel-spinning”. Not every prospect will bring joy to your club. In fact, many travelers have a propensity to create tension, stress and unnecessary aggravation. It is my belief that these particular prospects do not contribute to your overall club mission statement. Don’t voluntarily invite negative influences into your world. There are plenty of people who will appreciate the benefits of a well-run trip. Your job is to find them. But it will be extremely difficult to find them if you don’t know who you are looking for. i.e. the profile. This is a list of traits and qualities that you are attracted to. Call it your wish list. Of course you may need to work with a few people or couples who do not meet your requirements, but you will do so with your eyes open.

What are some of the criteria that you might decide to list? Location. Hobbies. Age. Interests. Income Level. Past travel experience. Group activity. Size of travel budget. Pleasant attitude. You know what qualities you admire in people. Be on the lookout for people who exhibit these traits. And since people hang out with people like themselves, you can start working down the “friend-chain.”

Once you know what kind of member you are looking for, finding them will become much easier and your prospect/client database will grow much faster.

Step 5. Create a Prospect List

Many club organizers confuse a prospect list with a suspect list.  Just about every person, in the beginning stages, looks like a “suspect”. In most cases, if the person can fog a mirror, they qualify as a “suspect”. All “suspects” however, do not have the time or the money to leave town. Therefore, not all suspects make good prospects. Your job is to isolate and identify without doubt, the true prospects: those with time, money and itchy feet.

The easy way to do this is to list people who fall within your designated territory (see step 2.) Then take each suspect and gauge them by how they stack up to your profile (see step 4). Due to your time constraints, focus your attention on those who you feel will produce favorable results required to keep your group active. Begin by making an attractive list of qualified prospects.

Step 6. Write A Script

It is all too common for club organizers to feel that their gift to the organization is their “gift for gab”. They take great pride in having the ability to “wing it” through difficult situations. My advice – take the time to write down the words you feel comfortable with when meeting someone for the first time. Then write a back-up sentence. And a third. Then a fourth. You will soon develop a script to center your discussions around. Chances are you will drift away from the script as your confidence builds. This is only natural. But until then, you should know exactly what information you want to convey.

Actors wouldn’t think of taking the stage without learning their lines. Comedians rehearse “bits.” Sports teams practice set plays. The real professional can ad-lib when he/she has to without the audience becoming aware of the change in pace. BUT, it all starts with the written word. Write a script, and then write answers to every question you encounter that makes you feel uncomfortable.

These six steps will get you off and running in the right direction. They are basic… yet vitally important for the success of your project.  If you take the time to do some planning before plunging into building your group’s activities, you will become one of the more successful entrepreneurs in this part of the industry.

Continue to Start Your Own Travel Club – Part 2: The Four Myths of Selling

Recent Leisure Group Travel Magazine Articles

How to Start a Profitable Group Travel Business

How to Organize Group Travel for Profit

Group travel is a booming industry, with over $200 billion spent on group trips each year. But how can you get in on the action and start organizing your own group travel experiences?

In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about organizing group travel for profit, from finding the right group to lead to marketing your trips and making money. We’ll also provide tips on how to create a successful group travel business that you can be proud of.

So whether you’re a seasoned traveler or you’re just starting out, read on for all the information you need to know about organizing group travel for profit!

How To Organize Group Travel For Profit?

Identify Your Target Market

The first step in organizing group travel for profit is to identify your target market. This will help you determine the type of trips you offer, the price point you set, and the marketing strategies you use.

Your target market could be based on a variety of factors, such as:

• Age: Are you targeting families with young children, adults looking for a romantic getaway, or retirees who want to explore new destinations?
• Income: How much are your target customers willing to spend on a group travel experience?
• Interests: What are your target customers passionate about? Do they enjoy outdoor activities, cultural experiences, or food and wine tasting?
• Location: Where do your target customers live? This will help you determine the most convenient departure cities for your trips.

Once you have identified your target market, you can start to develop a group travel experience that appeals to their specific needs and interests.

Create a Compelling Travel Experience

The next step is to create a compelling travel experience that will make your customers want to book with you. This means offering something unique that they can’t get on their own.

Some ideas for creating a compelling travel experience include:

• Exclusive destinations: Offer trips to destinations that are not typically accessible to the general public. This could include visiting private islands, restricted areas, or even space travel.
• Unforgettable experiences: Create experiences that will stay with your customers long after they return home. This could include things like learning to cook a traditional dish, exploring a hidden gem, or seeing a once-in-a-lifetime natural phenomenon.
• Exceptional service: Go above and beyond to provide your customers with exceptional service. This could include things like having a personal concierge, providing gourmet meals, or offering complimentary activities.

By creating a compelling travel experience, you can set yourself apart from the competition and attract more customers to your business.

Market Your Group Travel Experience

Once you have created a compelling travel experience, it’s time to start marketing it to your target market. There are a number of ways to market your group travel experience, including:

• Online: Create a website and social media presence to promote your trips. Use online advertising to reach potential customers who are searching for group travel experiences.
• Offline: Attend travel trade shows and industry events to connect with potential partners and customers. Run print and radio ads to reach customers in your target market.
• Word-of-mouth: Get your existing customers to spread the word about your trips. Offer incentives for customers who refer their friends and family.

By marketing your group travel experience effectively, you can reach more customers and grow your business.

Organizing group travel for profit can be a profitable and rewarding business. By following these tips, you can create a compelling travel experience that will make your customers want to book with you again and again.

Here are some additional tips for organizing group travel for profit:

• Get the right permits and licenses: Depending on the type of group travel experience you offer, you may need to obtain permits and licenses from the government. Be sure to do your research and comply with all applicable regulations.
• Secure insurance: In the event of a cancellation or other unforeseen event, it’s important to have insurance to protect yourself and your business.
• Hire qualified staff: You need to have a team of qualified staff in place to help you run your group travel business. This includes tour guides, drivers, and other support staff.
• Manage your finances carefully: It’s important to manage your finances carefully to ensure that your business is profitable. Keep track of your income and expenses, and make sure that you’re not overspending.

By following these tips, you can increase your chances of success in the group travel industry.

3. Set a Realistic Budget

The first step in organizing a group travel experience is to set a realistic budget. This will help you to stay on track and avoid overspending.

There are a number of factors to consider when setting your budget, including:

• The cost of transportation
• The cost of accommodations
• The cost of food and activities
• The cost of insurance
• The cost of marketing and promotion

Once you have a good understanding of the costs involved, you can start to put together a budget. It is important to be as accurate as possible, as this will help you to make informed decisions about your group travel experience.

Here are some tips for setting a realistic budget:

• Start by creating a list of all of the costs that you will need to cover. This includes everything from transportation to food and activities.
• Be realistic about the prices that you will be able to get. Do some research to find out what similar experiences cost.
• Allow for some flexibility in your budget. There may be unexpected expenses that you will need to cover.
• Once you have a budget in place, stick to it as closely as possible. This will help you to stay on track and avoid overspending.

How much will it cost to plan and execute your group travel experience?

The cost of planning and executing a group travel experience will vary depending on a number of factors, including:

• The number of people in your group
• The length of your trip
• The destinations you are visiting
• The type of accommodations you are staying in
• The activities you are doing

Here is a general breakdown of the costs that you can expect to incur:

• Transportation: The cost of transportation will vary depending on the mode of transportation you choose and the distance you are traveling. For example, a bus trip will be much cheaper than a plane trip.
• Accommodations: The cost of accommodations will vary depending on the type of accommodations you choose and the location. For example, a hotel room will be much more expensive than a hostel bed.
• Food and activities: The cost of food and activities will vary depending on the destinations you are visiting and the activities you are doing. For example, a meal at a restaurant will be much more expensive than a meal at a street stall.
• Insurance: The cost of insurance will vary depending on the type of insurance you purchase and the level of coverage you need.
• Marketing and promotion: The cost of marketing and promotion will vary depending on the methods you use to reach potential participants. For example, a social media campaign will be much cheaper than a print advertising campaign.

How much will you charge participants?

The amount that you charge participants will depend on a number of factors, including:

• The cost of your group travel experience
• The competition in your area
• The perceived value of your group travel experience

It is important to set a price that is fair and competitive. You do not want to price yourself out of the market, but you also want to make sure that you are making a profit.

How will you make a profit?

There are a number of ways to make a profit from organizing a group travel experience. Here are a few ideas:

• Charge participants a registration fee.
• Sell souvenirs or other merchandise.
• Partner with local businesses to offer discounts or other incentives to participants.
• Generate revenue from advertising or sponsorships.

It is important to have a clear plan for how you will make a profit from your group travel experience. This will help you to stay on track and avoid any financial surprises.

4. Market and Promote Your Group Travel Experience

Once you have a budget in place, you need to start marketing and promoting your group travel experience. This will help you to reach potential participants and generate interest in your event.

There are a number of ways to market and promote your group travel experience, including:

• Social media: Social media is a great way to reach potential participants. Create a Facebook page or group for your event and use it to share updates, photos, and videos. You can also use social media to run contests and giveaways to generate excitement.
• Email marketing: Email marketing is a great way to stay in touch with potential participants and keep them updated on your event. Create an email list and use it to send out regular newsletters and updates. You can also use email marketing to promote your event through social media and other channels.

There are a few different ways to find groups to travel with. You can:

• Search online. There are a number of websites and online forums where you can find groups of people who are interested in traveling together. Some popular websites include Meetup, TripAdvisor, and Wanderlust.
• Ask friends and family. If you know someone who is interested in travel, ask them if they know of any groups that you could join.
• Join a travel club. There are a number of travel clubs that you can join that will connect you with other people who share your interests. Some popular travel clubs include the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), the National Tour Association (NTA), and the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW).

How do I plan a group trip?

Planning a group trip can be a lot of work, but it can also be a lot of fun. Here are a few tips for planning a successful group trip:

• Start planning early. The sooner you start planning your trip, the more time you’ll have to work out all the details.
• Set a budget. It’s important to set a budget for your trip so that you can stay within your means.
• Choose a destination that everyone will enjoy. When choosing a destination for your trip, make sure to consider the interests of everyone in your group.
• Create an itinerary. Once you’ve chosen a destination, it’s time to create an itinerary for your trip. Your itinerary should include the dates of your trip, the places you’ll be visiting, and the activities you’ll be doing.
• Book your flights and accommodations. Once you have your itinerary, it’s time to book your flights and accommodations. Be sure to book your flights and accommodations early, especially if you’re traveling during peak season.
• Get travel insurance. It’s always a good idea to get travel insurance when you’re traveling in a group. Travel insurance can help you cover costs if you need to cancel your trip or if you experience any medical problems while you’re traveling.

How do I manage a group of people while traveling?

Managing a group of people while traveling can be challenging, but it’s also an opportunity to build relationships and create memories. Here are a few tips for managing a group of people while traveling:

• Set ground rules. Before you leave on your trip, it’s important to set some ground rules for the group. These rules should cover everything from how to resolve conflicts to how to share expenses.
• Delegate tasks. When you’re traveling with a group, it’s important to delegate tasks so that everyone has something to do. This will help to keep the group organized and running smoothly.
• Be flexible. Things don’t always go according to plan when you’re traveling with a group. It’s important to be flexible and adaptable when things change.
• Be patient. Traveling with a group can be stressful, so it’s important to be patient with each other. Everyone is going to have different needs and expectations, so it’s important to be understanding and respectful of each other.

How can I make money organizing group travel?

There are a few different ways to make money organizing group travel. You can:

• Charge a group fee. This is the most common way to make money organizing group travel. You can charge a flat fee per person or a percentage of the total cost of the trip.
• Get paid by commission. Some travel companies will pay you a commission on the sales that you generate. This is a good option if you’re not comfortable charging a group fee.
• Sell advertising. You can sell advertising on your website or in your newsletter to generate revenue. This is a good option if you have a large following of people who are interested in travel.
• Offer other services. In addition to organizing group travel, you can also offer other services such as travel planning, booking flights and accommodations, and providing travel insurance. This can help you to increase your revenue and reach a wider audience.

What are the risks of organizing group travel?

There are a few risks associated with organizing group travel. These risks include:

• Financial risk. If something goes wrong with your trip, you could be responsible for paying for the costs. This is why it’s important to have travel insurance in place.

Here are a few key takeaways:

• Choose a niche market and target your marketing efforts accordingly.
• Create a detailed itinerary and budget for your trips.
• Partner with reputable travel providers and suppliers.
• Provide excellent customer service and go above and beyond to meet the needs of your clients.

By following these tips, you can set yourself up for success in the group travel industry.

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12 Travel Business Ideas

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

If there is one thing most people can agree on, it’s that traveling is one of life’s great pleasures. Exploring new cultures, visiting the world’s great wonders, spending days following your instincts and trying exotic foods — there’s a lot to love about discovering new places.

If you want to take your love of travel to the next level and start a business to serve your like-minded wanderlusters, you should consider these fun and profitable travel business ideas.

What is a travel business?

There are two overarching types of travel businesses worth considering. First, you could think about starting a business that provides services or goods for travelers — running a hotel, for example. The second option is to start a business that you can run from anywhere in the world while you yourself travel. In many cases, this type of business revolves around travel, such as working as a travel writer and writing stories about your latest adventures.

What makes a travel business idea a good one?

A good travel business should combine two things: reliability and excitement. When you run a travel business, your clients need to be able to trust you. They need to feel confident that the tour group you run is legitimate and will show them the best sites. Or that the blog you run about the best inns on the east coast actually gives honest reviews.

At the same time, you need to offer services or create content that excites your customers. Introduce them to sights off the beaten path. Help them unwind and relax while on their vacation. Find a way to create trust amongst your customer base while offering them an experience they can’t find anywhere else.

How much do you need?

with Fundera by NerdWallet

We’ll start with a brief questionnaire to better understand the unique needs of your business.

Once we uncover your personalized matches, our team will consult you on the process moving forward.

12 travel business ideas for 2021

If you’re unsure of what type of travel business ideas could work for you, keep reading for some popular options. These ideas range widely and you should put your own creative spin on them. At the end of the day, think back to your passion for traveling. What services or products have made the most difference to you on past trips? What did you feel was missing? Can you find a way to make a living on the road while capitalizing on your skillset? Chances are, you have more ideas at the ready than you think.

1. Modernized bed and breakfast

B&Bs have been popular for decades — they outlive trends and are clearly here to stay. But why not step things up a notch and find a way to modernize the bed and breakfast experience a little bit? Make sure your rooms are outfitted with nice televisions so guests can enjoy a movie night in their cozy room. Offer unique culinary experiences. Decorate in a way that feels timeless but fresh at the same time. A bed and breakfast is a smaller operation than a hotel and is a great way to break into the hospitality business. If you need a little help funding your bed and breakfast, consider one of these financing options.

2. Off-the-beaten-path tour guide

Tour groups are a dime a dozen. But if you can offer a unique tour, you’ll be able to stand out from the competition. What do you love about your city? Maybe you can find the best coffee, chocolate, or salty treats at your local shops and restaurants. Organize a foodie tour of your town that highlights how your local delicacies are made. Of course, you’ll have to include tastes of all the local treats.

Or consider organizing a tour of some lesser-known sites. Surely there is a natural activity or historical site that tourists haven’t caught onto yet. If you can give your travelers a taste of local life or make them feel like they’ve uncovered something special, then your tour guide business will thrive. Maybe some locals will even join in on the fun.

3. Glamping

Here’s a fun fact for you: By 2025, experts estimate the glamping market in the United States alone is projected to reach a revenue of around $1 billion. It sounds like the great outdoors is getting a little fancier. What exactly is glamping? Glamorous camping.

Glamping combines nature with the comforts of home, and usually Champagne. That’s right, after a long day of hiking or river rafting, campers can return to decked-out campsites that offer spa treatments, wine and gourmet meals. The perfect combination of adventure and relaxation. If you can create a campsite that melds the best parts of nature with resort living, you’ll be in business.

4. Remote travel agent

Long gone are the days of travel agent offices. The truth is, thanks to the internet it’s easier than ever to plan a trip. Anyone with a computer can choose between hundreds of flights, hotels and restaurant reservations. The ease of access is great, but the time it takes to weed through those options might not be available to everyone. This is where a remote travel agent comes in.

You’ll work out of your own home which saves the customer costs on overhead expenses. For a more affordable price, remote travel agents can help busy travelers plan their next vacation from anywhere in the world. Help them book the best hotels, unique activities and provide them with all of their important travel bookings and documentation.

5. Travel consultant

Even though their job titles sound similar, a travel consultant is different than a travel agent. A travel consultant usually specializes in solving complex travel issues. For example, they may specialize in helping adoptive parents travel abroad to make the task of adopting a child from a foreign country run smoothly. Or they might assist businesses with complex assignments like learning how to cater to new cultures during business deals. Travel consultants generally focus less on tourism and more on helping iron out logistical issues.

6. Travel photographer

As a travel photographer, you’ll have plenty of options for making money off your passions for travel and photography. You can sell photos taken while traveling to newspapers, magazines and websites. Or you can sell your favorite shots in your own online shop. You could license your gorgeous photos of Paris or Peru to companies that create goods like calendars or art prints. Perhaps you want to help create stock photography for big companies like Getty Images. Point being, we live in a very visual world and there are plenty of options for starting a travel photography business.

7. Create a haunted attraction

Want a surefire way to make sure your hotel or guided tour drum up enough business? The solution is easy: Make it haunted. This may seem like a business better suited for Halloween time, but people are ready to get their scare on year-round. These haunted attractions do particularly well in historic locations like towns on the east coast where there are plenty of ghost stories to go around. Do some research and then let your imagination take care of the rest. You might want to load up on business insurance just in case your haunted attraction is too scary.

8. Teach cultural classes

It’s time to share your unique culture with the world. Offer fun classes for tourists that will make them feel like locals, whether that be a Creole cooking class or an art class that captures a local style of painting. Help tourists pick up a skill that they won’t learn anywhere else, like how to make an authentic cup of Turkish coffee or bake a truly Parisian croissant.

9. House or pet sitting

Sometimes a travel business does its best work when helping travelers look after what they left behind. House or pet sitting can be a great side hustle to take on if you’re looking for a little extra cash. Of course, you could always start a larger business like a kennel that takes care of beloved pets while their owners are jet-setting around the world. Some people are even willing to pay for plant hotels that keep their plants in tiptop shape until they return from vacation. Consider a travel business that will give your customers peace of mind while they are far from home.

10. Travel blogger

You’ve traveled the world and, boy, do you have some good stories to tell. So why don’t you then? By starting a travel blog, you can make money by sharing your experiences. You can offer up travel advice, share photos from your journey and review restaurants and hotels. Once your blog picks up some steam (aka gets a decent amount of pageviews and monthly visitors) you’ll be able to make money from ads hosted on your website, sign up for affiliate programs, or create sponsored content for brands. If this sounds like your ideal business, this guide can help you start a travel blog.

11. Ecotourism

Sustainability is all the rage right now and for good reason. It makes sense that those who value exploring the world want to keep it safe. Which is why ecotourism (also known as green tourism) is such a potentially profitable idea. Essentially, ecotourism allows travelers to learn about local culture and wildlife in a low-impact way.

Generally, these types of tours or services (like hotels) try to minimize the impact of traveling while giving tourists the education and tools to help positively impact the environment and community they visit. Many travelers are even willing to spend more on hotels if they are environmentally friendly. If you can find a way to show tourists a good time while helping them make a positive impact, you’re sure to have a popular business on your hands in no time.

Start Your Dream Business

12. Home rentals

Do you have a gorgeous pool house just waiting to be turned into an oasis for weary travelers? Consider starting a home rental business. You can list any rooms in your house that are available to rent out (or even your entire house if you’re headed out of town yourself) on home rental websites like Airbnb or HomeAway. If you live in a popular area where hotels are particularly pricey, then you may be able to fetch a pretty penny by allowing customers to rent rooms in your home.

The best part is, you get to set your price. You only have to rent to people who can meet your price and who you think would be a good tenant (Hint: They need as many good reviews as you do). This can be an ideal business for bringing in extra money to help fund your next vacation. Just make sure that your town, apartment complex, or homeowners association allows you to rent out your property and that you’re following proper regulations.

This article originally appeared on JustBusiness, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.

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Home » A New Group Travel Planning Website to Grow Your Group Business

A New Group Travel Planning Website to Grow Your Group Business

Group travel is exploding right now.  Everyone wants to see the world with friends and family.  2023 is seeing a full recovery in international travel with nearly 90% of insured travelers booking international destination s.  Along with that impressive stat is an increase in travel spending.  On average, travelers in 2022 spent roughly 25% more on their adventures compared to pre-pandemic spending.

As the demand for travel continues to surge, there’s a huge opportunity for independent travel advisors to cash in.  And we have a secret…. there’s a fresh new group travel planning website to grow your group travel business!

Let’s Talk Tech

As an independent agent, you probably spend a lot of time on the phone drumming up business.  But how travelers like to book trips is changing.  A recent survey showed that more than 73% of tourism companies use some kind of online reservation system .  And three to five of these bookings are mobile.

The convenience of an online platform a traveler can use anywhere makes it a great way to capture business and increase profits.

Related Reading:  Upgrade Your Trip Planning Tech

Let’s talk group experience.

Group Experience is a site designed specifically for independent travel advisors who want to streamline operations and grow their group businesses.

When you partner with Group Experience, you can:

• Build and price itineraries
• Set your profit margin
• Access online payment and registration
• AND… get coverage under GE’s liability protection

It’s a refreshingly simple solution for an agent’s most pressing challenges!

How is Group Experience Different from Group Travel Odyssey?

Group Experience (GE) is a member company of Group Travel Odyssey (GTO), a cloud-based software and service developed for group tour operators.  GE employs basic tenets of GTO and applies them to independent advisors planning group trips.

Pretty good idea, right?!

Kory Vrieze (GTO Director) explains it this way…. “Group Experience is a game-changer for independent travel agents who want to grow their group businesses.  It will help them reduce the amount of time they spend planning and provide coverage that may otherwise be too cost-prohibitive to carry. Everything agents need to plan and publish a trip is in one user-friendly platform.”

Go After That Group Travel Business!

As the trend to travel continues to gather momentum, it’s time for independent agents to go after group business.  Group Experience gives you the tools (and the confidence!) to make it happen.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HOW GROUP EXPERIENCE CAN HELP YOU GROW YOUR GROUP TRAVEL BUSINESS

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How to Grow Your Home-Based Travel Business

Barry Kantz is the host of the popular Home Based Travel Agent Show podcast.  Below he shares words of wisdom with the Group Experience travel tribe about how to grow your home-based travel business.  

Check out the Home Based Travel Agent Show for more great ideas and helpful resources!

Why is the phone not ringing?

I had an unfortunate misconception of marketing when I first dipped my toes into the travel business more than sixteen years ago. My thought process was that if I placed an ad in a local newspaper, the clients would start ringing my phone. I sat by the phone and nothing happened.

Marketing means building relationships

What I didn’t realize at that time is that marketing and selling depend on relationships. As Scott Keopf said on one of my early podcasts on the Home Based Travel Agent Show, “if you’re home-based, you’re a home waste.”

His point was that you have to go out and meet people!  Nurture relationships through which people get to know you, like you, and trust you.   These are essential if you want them to be comfortable handing over their hard-earned money to you.

Why it matters

Why is this relevant now? It’s relevant because, after eighteen months into a pandemic, we are making a comeback. We are transitioning from a locked-down world where the norm for conducting business is from home to resuming life beyond walls… while still conducting business from home! Meeting people on Zoom is commonplace, and our home environment has become relatively safe and comfortable for most of us.

Time to connect (or re-connect) in person

If you have been in the travel business for a while, it may be time to make a few phone calls. Reach out to clients who booked vacations with you every year (except last year, of course) and meet with them to just chat over a cup of coffee.

If you are fairly new in the business, make the most of your community contacts.  Go to the Chamber of Commerce meetings, chat with people after church, or mingle with parents at your kids’ sporting events.

Let people connect or re-connect with you. People are starving for those in-person connections after a year’s hiatus cooped up at home. They are ready for that vacation or tour with family or friends.

It’s a new world for home-based travel planners

The world has changed in sixteen years. We have a whole new set of marketing tools in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, blogs, and podcasts. But, one thing hasn’t changed, people still want those personal relationships where they get to know you in person. Don’t be a “home waste.”

Find out more about how to grow your home-based travel business

Listen to the latest episode of The Home Based Travel Agent podcast as small travel market expert Kevin Cabe shares new resources and tips for creating tours and growing your business.

Keith Snode, COO of Group Travel Odyssey and travel industry pro, weighs in with helpful hints as well.  You won’t believe how easy planning your next group trip and expanding your reach will be!

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Pets not allowed

Rooms and suites

Hilton Honors member benefits

Hilton Honors Discount rate

Points toward free nights and more

Choose Your Room

Digital Check-In

Hilton Honors Experiences

Digital Key

Hotel policies

Not available

Free in-room and lobby WiFi

Dining and drinks

Casual dining

Gather your group

Host an event, location and transportation.

Airport shuttle

Global Business Travel Group to acquire CWT for $570M

A merican Express Global Business Travel signed a definitive agreement to acquire CWT, valuing the global business travel and meetings solutions provider at about $570M on a cash-free, debt-free basis, said Global Business Travel ( NYSE: GBTG ) on Monday.

At the closing of the transaction, Amex GTB expects to issue about 71.7 million shares at a fixed price of $6.00 per share and to use cash on hand to fund the retirement of CWT debt and the remaining transaction consideration.

The acquisition was expected to break break-even to earnings per share in the first year of transaction close and accretive thereafter.

The deal would give CWT customers access to Amex GBT’s proprietary software and services for travel and expense, including Neo1, Neo, and Egencia, in addition to Select.

CWT serves 4,000 customers and is expected to generate approximately $850 million in revenues and $70 million–$80 million of Adjusted EBITDA in 2024, the company added.

The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2024. GBTG shares were 5% higher in premarket trading. 

• Source: Press Release

More on Global Business Travel Group

• Global Business Travel Group, Inc. (GBTG) Q4 2023 Earnings Call Transcript
• Global Business Travel Group GAAP EPS of -$0.30 misses by $0.08, revenue of $2.29B beats by $10M
• Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Global Business Travel Group
• Historical earnings data for Global Business Travel Group
• Financial information for Global Business Travel Group

What an Amex GBT-CWT Merger Means For Expedia and Booking.com

Dennis Schaal , Skift

March 27th, 2024 at 8:05 PM EDT

As in the planned American Express Global Business Travel Group merger with CWT, many marriages have in-law issues.

Dennis Schaal

Corporate travel could get complicated: Expedia Group has a big stake in Amex Global Business Travel. Booking.com is partners with CWT. What happens to those relationships if the merger between Amex GBT and CWT goes through? Amex GBT CEO Paul Abbott specifically noted CWT’s ties to Booking.com for Business as an upside to the deal as it tries to reach more small businesses customers.

“As you know, SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) is an important strategic focus area for us,” Abbott said in a conference call Monday to explain the proposed merger. “And it also represents an important strategic focus for CWT, who have been focused on expanding further in this area including a relationship with Booking.com for Business….”

Expedia Group, one of Booking.com’s largest rivals, had a 16% stake in Amex GBT at the end of 2023. Expedia also has a 10-year lodging supply agreement with Amex GBT that gives its clients access to Expedia hotel inventory.

What to Make of the Expedia-Booking.com Mashup

Skift reached out to several analysts about the potential rivalry in hotel supply between Expedia and Booking.com.

“There’s room for only one winner at the top of the podium,” said Atmosphere Research Group’s Henry Harteveldt. “Unless there is something in the contracts with either Booking or Expedia that guarantees one of them the place as the surviving provider, I would expect that Amex GBT will have Expedia and Booking participate in a type of bake off where the two make their case for being retained. It would, of course, be easier for Amex GBT to retain Expedia, since they are the incumbent, but Amex GBT may view this as an opportunity for a fresh look — and, perhaps, the opportunity to negotiate more favorable economic terms.”

On the other hand, Richard Clarke, managing director at AB Bernstein, didn’t see the mashup as an issue.

“Why not have both?” Clarke said. “My understanding is there is no cost of connection (for businesses) and this way you can pick the cheapest price of a hotel from each. I believe Trip.com has a similar relationship with both.”

Asked whether China’s Trip.com Group indeed has a supply relationship with both Expedia and Booking.com, a Trip.com executive wouldn’t get into specifics but said, “We are a platform so we do multi-sourcing.”

Indeed, Amex GBT already has a supply relationship with Booking.com, as it does with the three major global distribution systems, but they seem small when compared with the strategic relationship between Amex GBT and Expedia Group.

For its part, Expedia Group expects its supply partnership with Amex GBT to continue.

Asked about the implications of the Booking-CWT relationship and its own with Amex GBT, an Expedia Group statement said: “At Expedia Group, we power thousands of partners around the world with our best-in-class API technology and vast inventory. Our long-term agreement to provide lodging supply to Amex GBT was an important step forward in our ambition to power the entire travel ecosystem and help all of our partners achieve their goals. We look forward to continuing our partnership with them.”

Expedia’s Relationship with Amex GBT

Expedia Group’s equity stake and lodging supply agreement grew out of the sale of its Egencia corporate travel business to Amex GBT in late 2021. Expedia got a stake in Amex GBT and it secured a decade-long hotel-supply marketing agreement.

Amex GBT uses Egencia, which accounted for about 5% of the company’s overall revenue last year, to handle small and medium-size enterprises — which is what Booking.com for Business does for CWT.

More than two years after Expedia’s sale of Egencia to Amex GBT, Expedia still provides transition services to Amex GBT related to the deal.

In its fourth quarter and full-year 2023 financial results, Amex GBT reported that it notched a record of $2.2 billion in SME client wins last year.

It defines these small- and medium-size enterprises as those doing less than $30 million in total transaction value per year — and Amex GBT is looking for a lot more of these deals if it brings CWT into the fold.

With the potential addition of CWT, Amex GBT expects to increase its SME business by 35%, Abbott said during the merger call.

The Daily Newsletter

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Tags: amex , amex gbt , booking holdings , booking.com , booking.com for business , business travel , corporate travel , cwt , egencia , expedia , expedia group , m&a , mergers , mergers and acquisitions , small businesses

Photo credit: A business traveler in London. Source: Nicholas F/peopleimag/Adobe Nicholas F/peopleimages.com / Adobe

Home » Destinations » Nicoya Peninsula » Samara » 8 BEST Tours in Samara, Costa Rica

8 BEST Tours in Samara, Costa Rica

By Author Costa Rica Travel Life

Posted on Last updated: March 17, 2024

This blog may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy for more info.

Samara is the perfect destination to experience the  pura vida  in Costa Rica. This laid-back beach town is ideal for a relaxed getaway with friends or family, and it feels like a super safe place to visit in Costa Rica . 

We’ve found this small town is definitely less touristy than other parts of the Guanacaste province . Luckily, there’s still tons to do here, thanks to all of the amazing nature and wildlife around. You can swim with dolphins, go kayaking through mangroves, or ride horses along the beautiful beach – the choice is yours! 

There are many fun activities in Samara , but we think that some are best done as part of a tour. Sometimes this is for safety and practical reasons, like if you’re heading out on a boat or ATV. Other times, it’s simply because your guide can take you to secret wildlife hotspots you would never find on your own. 

So if you want to see the top highlights along with some hidden gems, we’ve got you covered! During our time in Costa Rica, we’ve tried many tours here and found the 8 best tours in Samara. Read on so you can start planning all of the amazing activities you want to experience here! 

Our Top Picks for Tours in Samara

If you don’t have time to read through all the choices and just want to book now, these are our top choices for tours in Samara!

Best bucket list-worthy tour: When we arrived in Costa Rica, seeing turtles was something we really wanted to do. Luckily, Samara is a great place for this! On this 3.5-hour turtle watching tour , you’ll see turtles nesting or even baby turtles hatching on the beach! It’s an evening tour and the local guides choose which beach to go to depending on where the turtles are. It’s only $57 USD including transportation and can be booked online year-round , although September/October are prime months.

Best combo tour: Don’t just stay on land, get out on the water in Samara! This 3-hour tour takes you to the best places to see dolphins! You’ll watch them play in the waves and also have a chance to spot turtles, stingrays, and whales. Then, it’s off to a prime snorkeling spot at Isla Chora to get up close with some of the amazing marine life. It’s really a 2-in-1 experience and at $58 USD is really affordable to book online too.

Why book a tour in Samara?

One of the best reasons to book a tour in Costa Rica – and more specifically, Samara – is that you get to see so much more wildlife that way. Some creatures are difficult to spot, but guides are so helpful for this. Plus, you find out so much more about what you’re seeing. In a country as biodiverse as Costa Rica, you come away from pretty much every tour having learned something fascinating. 

Another reason to do a tour in Samara is that you can’t access all of the best activities here on foot, so having transportation taken care of is really nice. Some tourists rent scooters to get around, but understandably not everyone is comfortable with that.

We also found that the tours we did in Samara took us to places we wouldn’t have found on our own. For example, we discovered some amazing snorkel spots in Costa Rica that we wouldn’t have been able to get to otherwise.

Samara is pretty safe overall. But if it’s your first time in Costa Rica, you might feel more comfortable taking a tour. You’ll be with a local guide who ensures your safety throughout and makes sure you don’t venture off anywhere you shouldn’t. 

Last but not least, we also found tours in Samara to be really good value for money! Most of the tours on this list cost less than $60 USD, so you really can’t go wrong. 

What are the best tours in Samara, Costa Rica?

1. dolphin and snorkeling trip at isla chora national wildlife refuge.

One of the (many) amazing things about Costa Rica is that you can see dolphins all along its Pacific Coast. Samara is a fantastic place to go dolphin watching and it’s a really affordable activity here! 

To access the best places for dolphin watching, I recommend taking this 3-hour tour . They pick you up around 8 am and head directly on a dolphin cruise. It’s such a beautiful way to start your morning and it’s hard not to smile when you see these playful creatures!

When we went, we loved watching the dolphins play in the waves, and we also saw turtles and stingrays. If you book this cruise between August and October, or December and April, you might spot some whales , too! 

After the dolphin cruise, you’ll sail to Isla Chora , which is famed for its amazing snorkeling. We went snorkeling here and saw lots of marine life, including a turtle, pufferfish, and lots of pretty reef fish. 

At $58 USD, we think that this tour is amazing value. You essentially get two tours in one! It’s also a great tour to do if you don’t have a lot of time in Samara but still want to experience its fantastic marine life. Snacks, snorkel equipment, and all transport are all included. There’s a maximum of 20 travelers, so it’s not too crowded, either!

If dolphin watching is at the top of your agenda, you’ll want to take this tour! You can pick your date and book it right here .

Related Read: If you love surfing, read all about the nearby town of Santa Teresa ! It provides that laid-back surfer lifestyle with cheap rentals and good waves year-round.

2. Horseback Riding on the Beach

Horseback riding is a super popular thing to do in Samara. Riding along the beach is just the perfect setting whether you’re honeymooning in Costa Rica or just looking for a unique activity. 

We recommend  this 2.5-hour horseback tour as the guides are great at encouraging you and showing you what to do if you’re a beginner. Rest assured, you don’t need any horse riding experience to enjoy this tour!

You’ll ride through the jungle in a small group of no more than eight and your guide will point out lots of flora and fauna along the way. You’ll almost certainly see monkeys scampering around! Your trusty steed will take you up a mountain to an amazing viewpoint where you can soak in the beauty of Samara’s wild landscape.

Then, you ride to a gorgeous beach where you can gallop along the shore and end your tour on a high. Riding horses along a stunning, deserted beach is something you only see in movies, and this is a rare opportunity to actually experience it in real life.

This tour is offered Mondays through Saturdays at 8 am and 3 pm. If you do the tour later in the afternoon, you will ride along the beach at sunset, which is such an amazing experience – we recommend doing this if you can!

The experience costs $55 USD per person, and there’s a minimum of two people per booking. The price includes hotel pickup and dropoff, and some photos and videos of the experience. It’s a fantastic price, but we’ve actually seen this tour offered for even cheaper. So, don’t hesitate to check prices for your dates online here !

3. Turtle Nesting Tour

If you’re anything like us, seeing turtles in Costa Rica is high on your list of things to do in the country . But on this 3.5-hour tour , you not only see turtles, you get to watch them nesting and hatching on the beach! 

This really is the kind of experience that’s best done with a guide. They’ll know all of the hotspots for turtle activity and can teach you all about their life cycles. Plus, you may even see baby turtles crawling towards the sea like we did!

This tour will pick you up around 7 pm and take you to Corozalito or Camaronal Beach , depending on the conditions that day. However, if there’s an arribada happening in Ostional Beach (which is 1.5 hours from Samara), your tour will take you there for no extra cost. An arribada is a natural phenomenon when hundreds of turtles come ashore at once to lay their eggs. It’s an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime thing to see and a big pro of this tour as far as we’re concerned!

This turtle tour costs $57 USD per person, including your roundtrip transport and guide, as well as water, juice, and snacks along the way. The very best months to book are September and October, as this is prime turtle time in Samara. However, you can do it year-round, so don’t worry too much if you’re not here during these specific months. 

If you’re an animal lover, you won’t want to miss this awesome opportunity! I recommend booking well in advance to secure your dates .

Related Read: Samara is just one of the many epic places in the area – so check out our complete guide on the Nicoya Peninsula (including the best things to do) .

4. Mangrove Kayaking Tour

Costa Rica isn’t all beaches and rainforests! Mangroves are a super interesting ecosystem, and they just so happen to be really fun to kayak through.

This guided tour  takes you down the Ora River, where you’ll kayak through the mangroves. To get an idea of what this looks like, just check out my photo above! Believe me, you’ll feel like an intrepid explorer as you spot monkeys, iguanas, and beautiful birds as you go. 

You’ll also learn a lot about mangroves from your guide. Did you know that they’re basically environmental heroes and absorb 5-6 times as much CO2 as rainforests? We definitely didn’t before taking this tour!

Plus, kayaking along the Ora River is easy, thanks to the calm water. You don’t need to be a paddling pro with super strength to enjoy this tour. As such, it makes for a great family-friendly activity as well.

The kayaking tour costs $66 USD per adult and $47 USD per child (ages 4-10). It lasts for around 3 hours, and there’s a refreshment and fruit break midway through at a beach (where you might even spot turtles nesting if you’re lucky!). The tour covers all your kayaking equipment, including lifevests and roundtrip transportation from your Samara accommodation .

This is such a relaxing, gorgeous day outdoors that you can book directly through Viator .

5. Ocean Kayak and Snorkeling to Chora Island

We absolutely loved  this kayaking tour to Chora Island ! We kayaked from Samara to Chora Island , which took about 30 minutes and was actually quite challenging. This was partly because the sea was choppy in sections but also because the sun was so hot. But honestly, it was all part of the adventure – and arriving at this stunning, secluded beach was a reward in itself!

Once we made it to Chora Island, we got to relax on the beach and cool off in the water. Chora Island is a pristine place, and you’ll probably have the whole beach to yourselves! Honestly, we were so happy to go ashore on this tour. 

The snorkeling was the best part for us, though. The water was super clear, and we got to see turtles, puffer fish, and lots of other tropical fish. Plus, our guide was really helpful and knew tons about the marine life around the island. 

This is a fantastic tour for nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts, and we highly recommend it. It costs $48 USD including all equipment, hotel pickup and drop off, as well as some snacks on the beach. It’s a great way to make the most of your time in Samara, and we would definitely do it again!

To experience this adventure for yourself, book this kayaking and snorkeling tour here !

Related Read: Do you enjoy seeing marine life up close? Then check out the best places to go scuba diving in Costa Rica .

6. Sunset and Wildlife ATV Tour

Samara has gorgeous coastal and mountain scenery, and you can explore it on this Sunset Quad Ride . Not only do you get to enjoy lots of natural beauty, but you also get a thrilling ATV experience! 

You start in the mid-afternoon, and you quite literally get off the beaten track by exploring backroads and dirt trails. When we went, we saw a wild side of Samara that most people don’t experience. As you drive through the trees, keep an eye out for wildlife before reaching a breathtaking mountaintop viewpoint.

You’ll also drive to Barrigona Beach , which is one of the best beaches in Samara. It’s about 10 kilometers (6 miles) out of town, and you need an ATV or a 4WD to get down there. For this reason, it’s always super quiet, and the chances are you’ll be the only people there! This is one of the many reasons we love this tour !

You’ll have time to swim here if you want to, although there is a large swell, so you might just prefer to chill on the white sand instead. The tour ends with a visit to a quiet sunset spot where you’ll have epic views of the vivid sunset over the ocean. Talk about ending on a high!

You’ll need to present your passport and a valid driver’s license to participate in this tour (since you actually drive on the roads). It runs year-round, including during the rainy season. However, we actually love ATV rides at this time of year because, believe it or not, the mud makes it even more fun. Regardless of when you visit Costa Rica , this tour delivers!

Kids as young as 5 can participate, and there are double and single ATVs available. A single ATV costs $124 USD per person, while a double costs $162 USD. Book this ATV adventure to experience it all … jungles, mountains, beaches, and an unforgettable sunset.

7. Safari and Buenavista Beach Horse Riding Tour

This horseback safari is an incredible way to explore the natural beauty of the Guanacaste province . You start with a boat ride, during which your captain will give you an introduction to the area’s unique flora and fauna. 

Once you arrive at the trailhead, you’ll meet your horse and guide and head off to explore the jungle. You’ll see monkeys, birds, reptiles, and maybe even some crocodiles – but don’t worry, it’s from a safe distance on horseback!

There are also several river crossings along the way, which are fun to navigate. Then, you end up on Buenavista Beach . You get to ride along the beach and paddle in the waves, which really is an amazing, bucket list-worthy experience (unless you’re allergic to horses like Bailey!).

You head back to the meeting point via an easy ride through some fields, which are home to wild horses and cows. The whole thing lasts about 2.5 hours which feels like the perfect amount to traverse this terrain on horseback.

Overall, this tour is a lot of fun, and the trails are nice and easy. It really doesn’t matter if you’ve never ridden before! The guides are also really friendly and will even fetch you fresh coconuts from the trees if you get thirsty. 

The experience costs $59 USD, and kids as young as 5 can participate (as long as they’re accompanied by an adult). There’s a maximum of 5 travelers per group, so it’s a really nice, small group. Hotel pickup and drop off aren’t included for this tour, but the meeting point is easy to get to via a scooter or local taxi.

Those who love riding horses (or want an easy introduction!) won’t want to miss this tour. Check availability and reserve your dates online here !

8. Werner Sauter Biological Reserve Hike

The Werner Sauter Biological Reserve is one of the best places to see wildlife in Samara. It’s a private reserve with gorgeous mountain trails that give you epic views over the town’s beautiful beaches. 

This small group tour  will pick you up from town and take you to the park, where you’ll begin a 2.5-hour guided hike through the reserve. The hiking is fairly easy and as you go, your guide will teach you all about the tropical dry forest and why it’s such an important ecosystem for Costa Rica’s wildlife .

On our visit, we discovered why this type of forest is so threatened, and we gained an even deeper appreciation for its beauty. We also saw loads of incredible native animals, including parrots, monkeys, butterflies, deer, and iguanas. 

On this guided tour , you’ll also pass through an organic mango plantation. If you’re hungry, you can help yourself to the fresh mangoes. I mean, talk about a rewarding hike! 

There are two options for the hike – a morning tour at 6:30 am for $47 USD and an afternoon tour at 2:30 pm for $42 USD. For both options, there’s a maximum of 10 people per group. We love that it’s a nice, small tour because you get more personalized attention and can ask questions about what you’re seeing. To secure your preferred time and date, we recommend booking this tour in advance .

Related Read: Do you love to travel but want to limit your environmental impact? Read about the best ecolodges in Costa Rica (with options for all budgets!).

Where to Stay in Sámara, Costa Rica

Sámara is one of those towns with a huge variety of places to stay. From budget backpacker hostels to luxury hotels, there are great accommodations in Sámara for all budgets. To help you narrow it down, we’ve included our favorites below.

Leyenda Boutique Hotel & Spa – $$$

For luxury travelers or families, I love   Leyenda Boutique Hotel & Spa . This place is spectacular and offers a fitness center, swimming pool, spa, and restaurant. On top of that, it’s located right just over a mile from the beach. From standard double rooms, to family suites to suites with a whirlpool there is an option for couples and groups alike.

Guests seem to love the property’s landscapes and service the most! Prices start at $247 USD which is amazing for a high-end option – so check prices and reserve a luxury room or suite here !

Mid-range – $$

Hotel entre dos aguas – $$.

If you consider yourself a mid-range traveler, then I have a great choice for you that caters to couples.  Hotel Entre Dos Aguas  is a rustic hotel with simple amenities on a beautiful property. Perfect for those who want a true Costa Rican stay. 

All of the rooms have private showers, and some of the rooms have a terrace. You can check availability and book online  here on Booking.com .

Las Mariposas – $

If you’re on a budget, there are lots of options, but not many of them are good.  Las Mariposas  is my top choice, with its location close to the beach. The hostel has a great atmosphere for meeting other travelers and is suited to the social backpacker. They offer a shared kitchen and common spaces, hammocks to relax on the patio, billiards, and karaoke.

A bed in a shared dorm runs about $12 USD, while private rooms start at $30 USD. You can  book this place on Hostelworld  or  Booking.com . 

For more info, read our detailed guide about deciding  where to stay in Samara with the best hotels and areas !

Getting Around Costa Rica

How you choose to get around Costa Rica is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make when planning your holiday here! How you do it depends on your budget, travel style, and comfort level. 

Renting a Car

Without a doubt, the number one way to explore Costa Rica is in a rental car. We book rental cars on the Discover Cars website as we have had good experiences with them in the past.

One of the things you need to watch for when renting a car in Costa Rica is the mandatory insurance that the government requires you to have. There are a lot of very cheap rentals that don’t include this mandatory insurance (TPL) in the original booking price, but there are also ones that do. To avoid additional surprise charges when you pick up your rental car, be sure to rent a car that includes the mandatory insurance when you book.

Thankfully, on Discover Cars it’s easy to tell apart the companies that include the mandatory insurance and those that don’t. The trick is you can’t pick any car on their website. In the picture below, you can see this rental car, with pick up in Jaco, includes the TPL. That means the mandatory insurance is included in the price. Any cover you get above that is extra.

Of course, I still suggest getting the full coverage offered by Discover Cars, which covers you even more.

You can  browse cars on Discover Cars here .

Book Shuttles

If renting a car isn’t in your budget, you don’t feel comfortable driving in Costa Rica , or you just don’t like driving, shuttles are the next best option. There are hundreds of shuttle routes available all over the country, and they are very affordable.

Shuttles in Costa Rica are specifically for tourists and often include pick up and drop off at your selected hotels and airports. The drivers also speak some English, and the vehicles have air conditioning. You’ll also be guaranteed a seat when you book a shuttle (which isn’t the case with the public bus system.)

To get the best price, use the website  Bookaway . They compare all the offers and prices of shuttle companies in Costa Rica so you get the best price! Honestly, we have saved so much money using Bookaway! 

You can search for shuttles online on Bookaway here.

Lastly, you can use the public bus system. On short journeys, such as from San Jose to La Fortuna or Uvita to Manuel Antonio, this system is great. However, the longer the journey the more hassle and time spent on a bus. It’s undoubtedly best to save the public bus in Costa Rica for short and straightforward trips!  

The public buses are definitely the cheapest way to get around Costa Rica, but they are not always very reliable and schedules often change without notice and delays are to be expected. The buses can also be very crowded and hot – so just be prepared!

It’s also good to speak some Spanish if you plan on riding the public bus since most drivers and ticket booth operators don’t speak English.

Samara is the perfect beach town to relax and bask in gorgeous natural scenery. This place is more off-the-beaten-path than other tourist destinations, which is why we recommend tours here! Whether you choose to ride horses, drive ATVs, or kayak through mangroves, you’ll have an incredible time.

If you found this article helpful, read our other blogs about Costa Rica . We’ve traveled all over this country, and we even lived here for a while. We love sharing what we’ve learned so you can have an amazing trip as well.

Where to stay in Nosara: BEST Nosara Hotels, Holiday Homes & Areas

Things You NEED To Know About Shuttles in Costa Rica

BEST Treehouse Hotels in Costa Rica (for all budgets!)

Samara Tourist & Travel Agency

Samara Tourist & Travel Agency – Established in 1963 this family-owned Tour Operator business has flourished and has become one of the leading businesses in East Jerusalem.

With over 50 years of experience in tending to all travel needs of travellers and pilgrims alike to the Holy Land and the entire region, the business’s strength lies within the personal attention and customized tours and products offered to each visitor whether individually or travelling with an organized group.

Surviving the ups and downs of the political climate which has a great effect on the flux of tourism to the Region, we at Samara Tourist & Travel Agency have developed a survival strategy that has been quite effective over the recent difficult years. Looking to the future and new trends in Global Tourism, the business is adapting new marketing strategies and creating new and diverse selection of Touring Products that encourage an increase in the number of tourists and entice new target markets to come, assuring continuity and exposure to the many different themes which our lovely country has to offer – from the Faith-based tourism to Heritage and Cultural Tours as well as Nature-oriented Green tours, these are just a few of the successful and memorable experiences offered to our clients.

Types of Services

For all your Travel needs to the Holy Land and the Near East Region we offer the following services:

• Classical Pilgrimages to the Holy Land Specialty tours for Groups and Individual.
• Large selection of Hotels of various categories Excursions to Jordan, Egypt and Sina.
• Professional Tour Guides and Tour Leaders.
• Luxury Air-conditioned Buses, Car-Rentals and Limousine Service.
• Cultural Meetings and Folklore Evenings ‘Wedding in Cana’ including the organization of the Church Ceremony and other Honeymoon packages.
• Medicinal-, Health- und Spa Packages at the Dead Sea and to the Hot Springs.
• ‘Fun in the Sun’ Beach Vacations.
• Alternative Tours, Hiking in the Holy Land, ‘Palestinian Culture’ Tours, ‘Learn Arabic’ Vacations, ‘Fair Tours’, historic tours through Palestine and Israel.
• ‘Towards the first Qibla’ – Islamic Pilgrimages

Contact Information

For further information and quotations we will gladly be of service, please contact us at:

CEO and General Manager: Christina Samara

Address: Samara Tourist & Travel Agency Greek Orthodox Pat. Rd. #1 P.O.Box 14058 Jerusalem 91140

Telephone: + 972 2 627 6133 Telefax: + 972 2 627 1956 Email: [email protected] / [email protected] Website: www.samaratours.com

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Amex GBT to Acquire Travel-Software Firm CWT for $570 Million

By Paige Smith

Global Business Travel Group Inc. , partly owned by American Express Co. , agreed to buy business-travel software firm CWT for about $570 million.

The deal will be financed with both stock and cash and is scheduled for completion in the second half of the year, according to a statement Monday. The acquisition of CWT, which has about 4,000 customers, is expected to generate about $850 million of revenue this year, according to American Express Global Business Travel, which is operated by Global Business Travel Group. About $155 million of synergies should result from the takeover, according to the statement. ...

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Sámara: A Travel Guide to Costa Rica’s Coolest Beach Town

• February 26, 2021

There is a good chance that this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. As ever, all opinions are my own.

Are you considering visiting the surf town of Sámara in Costa Rica? Need some persuasion? Well you’ve come to the right place! This Sámara travel guide is designed to tell you everything you need to know to plan your escape to this stunning area of Costa Rica.

I spent a few days in Sámara at the end of my G Adventures Costa Rica tour, and I fell for it fast!

Unlike many other places in Costa Rica, this small town on the pacific coast is surprisingly authentic, and you’ll never have to deal with crowds of other tourists. Most tourists skip over Samara entirely, which in my opinion is almost criminal!

Even if you’re not into surfing, there’s a whole load of reasons you’ll love Sámara. First of all, obviously, the lack of crowds is a big selling point. There’s also the laid-back, anything goes vibe that makes you want to quit your life and become a full-time beach bum. But Samara is also a fabulous base for a tonne of awesome activities that’ll keep you entertained for days! 

Heading to Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast instead? Check out my travel guide here.

How Much Time Do You Need in Sámara?

In Sámara, it’s easy to do whatever it is you want. Feel like reading a book on the beach for a couple of days? No problem. Feel like packing a bunch of activities into your stay and keeping busy? That’s also cool!

Aside from surfing and being a beach bum, there isn’t much to do in Sámara itself so it’s a good idea to get a balance of beach time and adventure activities. I think 3 days in Sámara is ideal for most visitors, but if you like surfing you’ll want to stay there longer.

I personally could have stayed there for over a week without getting bored! Sprawled out on the beach, drinking out of a coconut, I almost cancelled my flights home to extend my trip!

Alas… Real life responsibilities won in the end, and I caught the bus back to San Jose promising to return one day…

How to Get to Sámara

There are a few options for getting to Sámara depending on how adventurous you are.

Obviously, if you’ve hired a car, you should drive to Sámara. It takes around 4 hours from the capital city of San Jose, or 2 hours from Tamarindo. I’m a big scaredy-cat when it comes to driving, though, so it was never something I considered!

The option I went for, and the easiest option by far, is by joining a Costa Rica guided tour that goes to Sámara. There are a few different tour providers in Costa Rica, but I opted for G Adventures and I highly recommend their tours.

I went on this one , which hits up all the highlights of Costa Rica (including Sámara) over 14-days, and I had the time of my life! Taking a tour was ideal for me, as it meant I didn’t have to think at all about logistics and how to get from A to B. Y ou can read my full review of the tour I went on here.

Your final option is to catch a bus to get to Sámara. From San Jose, the bus takes around 4 hours and costs around $8 one-way. There are also local buses from Sámara to popular nearby destinations such as Tamarindo.

Things to Do in Sámara, Costa Rica

Going surfing.

Sámara is all about surf, and whether you’ve never set foot on a surfboard in your life or you’re a seasoned pro, you’ll have the time of your life surfing here.

The guys over at C&C Surf School have unbeatable enthusiasm for teaching you how to surf and are full of helpful advice. A few people in my tour group took lessons here and had nothing but good things to say about them. Everybody managed to stand up on their first lesson, which is a huge achievement!

If you already know what you’re doing they have a wide range of surfboards to hire, although they don’t have too many more “advanced” boards. They also hire out rash vests. Be sure to hire a long sleeve one if you can to protect yourself from the sun!

Surfing here was unbelievable. I just couldn’t get enough. The waves were so clean and easy to ride along (especially compared to the windswept slop I surf back at home)! Sámara is the perfect place to learn how to surf.

That said, though, the surf is only pumping at certain times of the day. When I was there, it was first thing in the morning and around sunset. During the middle of the day, it was almost flat! That means you’ll have time to either lounge on the beach in between surf sessions, or fit in an activity.

Snorkelling

How better to explore Sámara’s surrounding area than by boat, stopping off to snorkel at all the best spots? 

I love snorkelling and always try to do it at least once per trip. There are quite a few snorkelling tours available in Sámara, so I recommend using Viator to check out your options.

This tour gets rave reviews! Taking in the gorgeous scenery at Barco Quebrado, Sámara and Carrillo, you’ll be able to snorkel to your heart’s content and get to know the area by its best and most beautiful asset – the ocean!

Stand up Paddleboarding

Even if you haven’t tried stand up paddleboarding before, taking a paddleboarding tour is one of the best things to do in Samara. Sámara beach itself can sometime be too ferocious for stand up paddleboarding, but joining a tour will enable you to visit the tranquil nearby waters of Carillo, which is much better suited to paddleboarding.

During a paddleboarding class, your guide will give you a quick introduction to paddleboarding and teach you how to balance on the board before you set off along the coast.

Horseback Riding

Fun fact: the first time I ever went horseback riding was in Costa Rica.

Ever since, I’ve made it my life mission to convince everybody else to go horseback riding in Costa Rica too. Well, maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but the experience was just magic!

Luckily, you can go horseback riding in Sámara – and you can actually ride on the beach (goals)!

This tour takes you riding up a mountain through the jungle to reach amazing viewpoints, and allows you to see a part of Sámara not many others visit which isn’t accessible by vehicle. The final leg of the tour includes galloping along the beach.

I’m always super cautious before recommending animal activities as animal welfare is something I am passionate about. Fortunately, this tour company is consistently praised for the condition of their horses, and they pride themselves on never taking the horses on more than one tour per day. 

Meeting Turtles

Ever wanted to see turtles nesting and hatching on the beach?

Well, from Sámara, you can take a tour to see the baby turtles . From Sámara beach, a guided turtle tour will take you to either Corozalito, Camaronal or Ostional beach where you commence your turtle hunt.

The tour guides have a huge emphasis on the wellbeing of the turtles and give you a full safety briefing before you spot the turtles and, after that, you’ll be able to watch the turtles making their way into the ocean.

The peak turtle hatching time in the area is September and October, so, although you can still spot turtles outside of these months, there’s always a risk that you could miss them.

Mangrove Kayaking 

Sámara isn’t far away from the Ora River, a popular kayaking spot in Costa Rica. Paddling the quiet waters of the river on a guided kayak tour is the best way to explore the mangroves. As you paddle you’ll be able to spot wildlife such as monkeys and birds, as well as an easy way to explore the tropical rainforest. 

Sunset Booze Cruise

I skipped this tour in favour of extra time spent surfing, but judging by the state of the girls on my tour group who went on it when they returned to the hostel, I definitely missed out!

With alcohol, soft drinks and snacks all included in the price of the cruise, this is without doubt the most epic way to catch the sunset in Sámara. There’s an opportunity to snorkel and dolphin-spot on the journey before you settle in to witness the sunset over drinks. The cruise lasts around 3 hours.

The girls on my tour who went on this came back so drunk (in the best way possible). They all said they’d had an amazing time – and it sure looked like they did! Check out prices here .

Quad Biking

This was another tour that I skipped in order to go surfing in Sámara (I’m sensing a theme here…) but the people in my tour group who went quad biking couldn’t sing its praises loud enough!

The quad biking tour includes a safety briefing followed by pure adventure! You’ll get to take in the hills and jungle as you zoom through the rainforest. The tour finishes off at the beach, where you’ll get the opportunity to snorkel and wash away all the dirt from the journey.

Be sure to bring a bandana if you’re going quad biking! The wheels kick up dust and dirt like there’s no tomorrow, and breathing in a bunch of dust is something nobody wants.

Is Sámara Costa Rica Safe?

Yes, Sámara is safe, and I didn’t feel concerned for my safety at all whilst I was here – unlike in a few towns on the Atlantic coast of Costa Rica where harassment was a problem.

I would have felt fine walking alone in the town centre at night by myself, but fortunately I didn’t have to, and I’d always prefer to go out with others after dark.

Obviously, like everywhere else in Costa Rica, stay sensible, keep an eye on your belongings, and don’t go wandering around dark alleyways by yourself at night, and you’ll find that Sámara is a perfectly safe place to visit in Costa Rica.

Where to Stay in Sámara

There are great accommodation options in Sámara for all budgets, but especially if you’re travelling on a low to mid-range budget. Here are my picks for the best places to stay in Sámara.

Hostels in Sámara

Sámara has quite a few hostels, but there are only a couple that have good ratings:

Matilori hostel – Surrounded by Mango trees and just 50 metres away from the beach, you can’t beat the location of this hugely popular hostel. It’s fairly small so it’s easy to get to know other people in the hostel, which is ideal if you’re a solo traveller looking to socialise. It also has all the facilities you’d need, including a kitchen to prepare your own food (and keep costs down) and reliable wifi if you need to get some work done or call home. 

One night in a 6-bed dorm costs around $15 , with a private double room costing $40 . Check out availability and reviews here .

Las Mariposas – Just like Matilori hostel, Las Mariposas is just 50 metres away from the beach (Sámara really is all about beachside living!). This hostel is well known amongst travellers to Sámara for its social atmosphere, and it has a hammock area outdoors where you can chill in the evening and chat with other guests. It also offers free coffee in the morning.

One night in an 8-bed dorm costs around $14 , with a private double room costing $40 . Check out availability and reviews here .

Hotels in Sámara

If you’re travelling as a couple (or just prefer your own space and a few extra luxuries) staying at a hotel or guesthouse in Sámara is the ideal option for you. 

The Good Life Lodge – This is the perfect compromise between a hostel and a hotel – it has a communal kitchen, so you can cook your own food to save costs, but it has the little luxuries you wouldn’t find at a hostel. We’re talking about a hot tub, flat-screen TVs, welcome beers and the all-important AIR CONDITIONING! This place gets rave reviews, which you can check out here . 

Double rooms cost around $79 per night . Check availability for your dates here . 

Hotel Peace & Lodge – For one of the best places to stay in Sámara, check out Hotel Peace & Lodge. This place is one of Booking.com’s most popular stays in Sámara, and looking over the property’s pictures, I’m not surprised. With a restaurant, a swimming pool, a garden and a bar, it isn’t short of facilities, and all the rooms are spacious. The price also includes breakfast!

Double rooms cost around $102 per night . Check availability for your dates here .

Best Restaurants in Sámara

Sámara is a small town, so you’re not going to be overwhelmed by choice of places to eat here. That said, there are enough great restaurants in town serving up both local and international cuisine, so you won’t be disappointed. Here are my top picks:

• Samara Sushi – this sushi place is wildly popular and gets rave reviews. In fact, my Costa Rican tour guide said it was his favourite sushi ever! The decor is unique and makes the restaurant feel super laid back, and their 2 for 1 sushi special (which runs after 5pm) is always a hit. Unfortunately, though, it’s quite pricey.
• Restaurante Sheriff Rustic – for an authentic Costa Rican soda (a local restaurant) you don’t need to look any further than Restaurante Sheriff Rustic. I ate here twice, and it was perfect! The prices were reasonable, the staff offer killer recommendations from the menu, and their ceviche cannot be beaten.
• El Lagarto – Is this the best restaurant in Samara? I think so! And so do all the online reviewers! The specialty at El Lagarto is anything grilled, and boy, I didn’t think grilling could make anything taste this good! The restaurant is down a back street and a bit hard to find, but that only makes it more of a hidden gem.

Don’t forget to check out my post on traditional food and drinks to try in Costa Rica!

Things You Need to Bring to Sámara, Costa Rica

For Sámara, you’ll definitely need some mosquito repellent spray and bands , and a quick-dry travel towel for all those beach days you’ll have. Other than that, you won’t need anything special beyond what I covered in my Costa Rica packing list .

I do want to emphasise how important it is that you purchase travel insurance before you visit Sámara, though. 

A lot of people don’t think it’s necessary to get travel insurance before travelling to Costa Rica – and it makes me wince whenever I hear about it! Costa Rica is fairly safe, but being careful and visiting safe destinations doesn’t prevent plain old bad luck from happening!

Not only is travel insurance very affordable, but it can save you from all manner of nightmarish situations – whether that’s having your flights cancelled, accidentally damaging your laptop, or even getting injured on an activity! I recommend World Nomads for travel insurance and would NEVER travel uninsured . 

Travel insurance is the kind of thing you often don’t think about until you need it. Don’t get caught short!

I hope this post has helped you to plan your visit to Sámara – you’re going to love it! With so many fun activities right on its doorstep, and that incredible beach, I can’t understand why Sámara isn’t swamped with visitors. I’m definitely happy it isn’t, though!

Don’t forget to head over to my other Costa Rica posts for more trip planning tips!

Ella Moore is the founder of Many More Maps. Growing up just 45 minutes away from Liverpool, Ella has spent years exploring the city inside out. In her teenage years, she was introduced to the music of The Beatles, and the rest, they say, is history! Today, she stands as a leading authority on Beatles tourism in Liverpool, helping over 40,000 people a month to plan their dream trip to the city.

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I’m so glad I came across your post. I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit I’d never even heard of Samara. Now I can’t wait to go there.

Thanks Jenn! Samara is so lovely!

Thanks for this. How did you feel about the Hotel Villas Playa Samara. We are an active couple in our late 60’s and early 70’s who want to stay in an all inclusive but still take surfing lessons and do some excursions. Did you see this hotel and what did you think of it.

Hi Steve, I’m glad you found the post helpful! I unfortunately didn’t see Hotel Villas Playa Samara during my time in town, but given your interests I think you’ll have a fabulous time in Samara no matter where you stay! I hope you have a great trip 🙂

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Amex gbt to acquire cwt, transaction value of approximately $570 million on a cash-free, debt-free basis, subject to certain assumptions and purchase price adjustments acquisition to provide cwt customers with more choice and value transaction projected to create greater capacity for investment in software and services expected to deliver significant shareholder value through synergy opportunity and efficiency gains from the combination, with approximately $155 million of synergies identified investor conference call scheduled for today at 08:30 a.m. eastern time.

American Express Global Business Travel (“Amex GBT”), which is operated by Global Business Travel Group, Inc. (NYSE: GBTG) (“Amex GBT” or the “Company”), a leading B2B software and services company for travel and expense, has today announced it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire CWT, a global business travel and meetings solutions provider, in a transaction that values CWT at approximately $570 million on a cash-free, debt-free basis, subject to certain assumptions and purchase price adjustments. The transaction will be funded by a combination of stock and cash and is expected to close in the second half of 2024, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including the receipt of certain regulatory approvals.

CWT serves 4,000 customers and is expected to generate approximately $850 million of revenues and $70 million–$80 million of Adjusted EBITDA in 2024.

Paul Abbott, Amex GBT’s CEO, said: “Bringing CWT onto the proven Amex GBT software and services model will create more choice for customers, more opportunities for people and more value for shareholders.”

After the acquisition closes, CWT customers would have access to Amex GBT’s proprietary software and services for travel and expense, including Neo1, Neo and Egencia, in addition to Select, which enables customers to integrate with leading technology partners. Customers would have access to the broadest portfolio of professional services, including meetings and events, consulting and sustainability solutions and Amex GBT’s marketplace would provide access to the most comprehensive and competitive content in the industry.

CWT CEO, Patrick Andersen, said: “Joining forces with Amex GBT helps accelerate our vision of a tech-enabled future for business travel, where people and technology combine to deliver an exceptional customer experience. We are highly confident in the value creation of the combined company.”

Significant Shareholder Value

• Highly attractive valuation and financial return: Based on CWT estimated 2024 Adjusted EBITDA of $70 million–$80 million and $155 million of identified synergies, Amex GBT acquiring CWT for pre-synergy multiple of 7.6x and post-synergy multiple of 2.5x Adjusted EBITDA. Based on CWT estimated 2024 revenue of approximately $850 million, Amex GBT acquiring CWT for 0.7x revenue multiple.
• Synergy opportunity: Identified approximately $155 million of annual run-rate synergies within three years, with approximately 35% expected to be realized in 2025. Amex GBT has a proven track record of delivering significant synergies through acquisitions. A dedicated integration team will execute the synergy plan.
• Strong balance sheet and leverage profile: Amex GBT maintains a strong balance sheet and post-deal leverage stays within Amex GBT’s target range of 1.5x–2.5x.
• Accretive transaction: Expected to be break-even to earnings per share in the first year of transaction close and accretive thereafter.

Transaction Overview

• The transaction values CWT at approximately $570 million on a cash-free and debt-free basis, subject to certain assumptions and purchase price adjustments. At the closing of the transaction Amex GBT expects to issue approximately 71.7 million shares of its common stock at a fixed price of $6.00 per share and to use cash on hand to fund the retirement of CWT debt and the remaining transaction consideration. The CWT shareholders, which are primarily investment funds, are subject to a 90-day lockup for 50% of their shares and a 270-day lockup for the remainder of their shares. Both companies’ boards of directors have approved the transaction, which is expected to be completed in the second half of 2024, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including the receipt of certain regulatory approvals.
• Amex GBT acquiring CWT for pre-synergy multiple of 7.6x and post-synergy multiple of 2.5x Adjusted EBITDA, based on CWT estimated 2024 Adjusted EBITDA of $70 million –$80 million and $155 million identified synergies.
• Amex GBT acquiring CWT for 0.7x revenue multiple, based on CWT estimated 2024 revenue of approximately $850 million.

Investor Conference Call Information

Amex GBT will hold a live investor conference call on March 25, 2024, at 8:30 AM ET. The live investor conference call and accompanying slide presentation can be accessed on the Amex GBT Investor Relations website at investors.amexglobalbusinesstravel.com . A replay of the event will be available on the website for at least 90 days following the event.

About Amex GBT

American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) is a leading software and services company for travel, expense, and meetings & events. We have built the most valuable marketplace in travel with the most comprehensive and competitive content. A choice of solutions brought to you through a powerful combination of technology and people, delivering the best experiences, proven at scale. With travel professionals and business partners in more than 140 countries, our solutions deliver savings, flexibility, and service from a brand you can trust – Amex GBT.

CWT is a global business travel and meetings solutions provider, with whom companies and governments partner to keep their people connected, in traditional business locations and some of the most remote and inaccessible parts of the globe. A private company majority owned by funds affiliated to Redwood Capital Management and Monarch Alternative Capital amongst others, CWT provides its customers’ employees with innovative technology and an efficient, safe, and sustainable travel experience.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains statements that are forward-looking and as such are not historical facts. This includes, without limitation, statements regarding our financial position, business strategy, and the plans and objectives of management for future operations and full-year guidance. These statements constitute projections, forecasts and forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking.

The forward-looking statements contained in this communication are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us, including as a result of the transaction, will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following risks, uncertainties and other factors: (1) changes to projected financial information or our ability to achieve our anticipated growth rate and execute on industry opportunities; (2) our ability to maintain our existing relationships with customers and suppliers and to compete with existing and new competitors; (3) various conflicts of interest that could arise among us, affiliates and investors; (4) our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors; (5) factors relating to our business, operations and financial performance, including market conditions and global and economic factors beyond our control; (6) the impact of geopolitical conflicts, including the war in Ukraine and the conflicts in the Middle East, as well as related changes in base interest rates, inflation and significant market volatility on our business, the travel industry, travel trends and the global economy generally; (7) the sufficiency of our cash, cash equivalents and investments to meet our liquidity needs; (8) the effect of a prolonged or substantial decrease in global travel on the global travel industry; (9) political, social and macroeconomic conditions (including the widespread adoption of teleconference and virtual meeting technologies which could reduce the number of in-person business meetings and demand for travel and our services); (10) the effect of legal, tax and regulatory changes; (11) the decisions of market data providers, indices and individual investors; (12) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Amex GBT or CWT following the announcement of the transaction; (13) the inability to complete the transaction; (14) delays in obtaining, adverse conditions contained in, or the inability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals or complete regulatory reviews required to complete the transaction; (15) the risk that the transaction disrupts current plans and operations as a result of the announcement and consummation of the transaction; (16) the inability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the transaction, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain key employees; (17) costs related to the transaction; (18) risks related to the business of Cape or unexpected liabilities that arise in connection with the transaction or the integration with Cape; (19) the risk that the assumptions, estimates and estimated adjustments described in this communication may prove to be inaccurate; and (20) other risks and uncertainties described in the Company’s Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on March 13, 2024, and in the Company’s other SEC filings. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income (loss) before interest income, interest expense, gain (loss) on early extinguishment of debt, benefit from (provision for) income taxes and depreciation and amortization and as further adjusted to exclude costs that management believes are non-core to the underlying business of the Company, consisting of restructuring, exit and related charges, integration costs, costs related to mergers and acquisitions, non-cash equity-based compensation, fair value movements on earnout and warrant derivative liabilities, long-term incentive plan costs, certain corporate costs, foreign currency gains (losses), non-service components of net periodic pension benefit (costs) and gains (losses) on disposal of businesses.

This communication contains non-GAAP financial measures related to the anticipated acquisition. Amex GBT believes these forward-looking non-GAAP measures are of interest to investors. We have not reconciled these forward-looking non-GAAP measures to their corresponding GAAP measures because certain items that impact these measures are unavailable without unreasonable efforts, out of Amex GBT’s control and/or cannot be reasonably predicted without unreasonable efforts.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240325881910/en/

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Saga sets post-Easter deadline for cruise operation suitors

The London-listed insurance and travel group has asked for proposals for its cruises arm to be tabled next month, Sky News learns.

City editor @MarkKleinmanSky

Thursday 21 March 2024 19:29, UK

Saga has set a deadline next month for proposals to release capital from its ocean cruises operation.

Sky News understands that the London-listed insurance and travel group is working with Lazard, the investment bank, on potential partnership arrangements for the cruise business.

Prospective buyers have been asked to submit indicative offers in April, according to insiders.

The structure of a deal has still to be determined but Saga and its advisers are exploring a number of options for the division, which operates the Spirit of Adventure and Spirit of Discovery.

Saga has been labouring under the weight of a large debt pile for years.

Last autumn it tapped its chairman, Roger de Haan, for £35m, adding to the substantial sum of money it owes him.

The evaluation of new corporate activity by Saga's board comes ahead of a £150m bond repayment which is due in May but which is understood to be repayable from money lent by Mr de Haan.

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In its interim results announced last September, Saga's balance sheet was saddled with net debt of more than £650m.

The company's shares have fallen by nearly a fifth during the last 12 months, leaving it with a market capitalisation of just over £200m.

Mr de Haan, the company's former chief executive, was parachuted back in to lead a turnaround in the summer of 2020, investing £100m as part of a broader capital-raising.

That came after it spurned a takeover bid from private equity investors.

At the start of last year, it unveiled a global website called Saga Exceptional, aimed at providing advice and services to over-50s consumers.

However, it has been forced to contend with a change of leadership following the resignation last year of chief executive Euan Sutherland.

He has been replaced by finance chief Mike Hazell.

A large part of the company's current travails relate to conditions in the motor insurance market, which it said had been impacting its ability to generate cash and reduce debt.

Saga had also been in talks to sell its underwriting business to Open, an Australian insurer, but failed to finalise a transaction.

Mr de Haan, the son of the company's founder, had already lent Saga £50m before extending that to an £85m facility earlier in the autumn.

Shares in Saga closed on Thursday at 119.6p.

A spokeswoman for the company declined to comment.

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EQS-CMS: Samara Asset Group p.l.c.: Release of a capital market information

The total number of repurchased shares in the period from 17 July 2023 up to and including 25. March 2024 amounts to 298,000 shares.

The share buyback by Baader Bank AG took place exclusively via the stock exchange.

Information on the individual transactions and on the daily trading volume referred to in Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 and in accordance with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 shall be published on the Internet at the following link:

https://www.samara-ag.com 

Sliema/Malta, 25. March 2024

Samara Asset Group plc – Board of Directors  

25.03.2024 CET/CEST The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.eqs-news.com

1866643  25.03.2024 CET/CEST

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