Our story: 40 years of experience

Our Story40 years of experience

A tale of escorted touring

It was in early 1983 that the story of Newmarket Holidays began when founders Jeremy Griffin and Toni Frei arranged a four-day May Bank Holiday weekend to Paris, which saw some 35 happy customers journey by coach to the ‘City of Light’ for the remarkable price of just £49.50 per person. Other tours quickly followed, and over the next few years, with Simon Hibbs now installed as Managing Director, the fledgling company grew rapidly, adding air-inclusive tours, ocean and river cruises to its portfolio of coach-inclusive breaks. As the 20th century merged into the 21st, the three owners, together with a team of dedicated travel professionals, steered Newmarket Holidays to all four corners of the world, providing extraordinary value, high-quality, award-winning tours for an ever-growing number of loyal, appreciative customers eager to create their own travel stories. After 36 years at the helm, Simon, Jeremy and Toni were delighted to hand over the full-time reins to new CEO Niel Alobaidi in late 2019, only to see the company face its greatest-ever challenge, as the global pandemic ravaged the travel industry and temporarily dashed the wish-list hopes of our customers. Two years of uncertainty, from which the company emerged thanks to its hugely dedicated staff, the support of its ownership and above all its customers, ended with a successful 2022, during which we were honoured with yet more awards…which brings us to this latest chapter in the Newmarket Holidays story. As we head toward our 40th anniversary in spring, we would like to thank our millions of customers past and present, our hundreds of colleagues and our partners across the globe who have journeyed with us along the way, and as we reflect upon four decades of adventures, we look forward to many more. Though the future remains unwritten, we can’t wait to create and share many more stories together for many years to come.

When you consider that we’re now sending people to more than 60 countries every year, including far-reaching places like South Africa, the Far East and South America, the type of holidays and tours we offer has evolved hugely and it’s been wonderful to be part of this industry for so long. We’ve seen so many changes over the years, but the loyalty from our customers and our team has been the biggest success story for us.

Jeremy Griffin, Co-founder

Owners Simon, Toni and Jeremy celebrating 30 years in 2013 Our first escorted tour from 1983

Customers on tour in Jerusalem

A new chapter, a new look

We’ve adopted a new look in celebration of our 40th anniversary. We thought this step towards a different style was perfectly timed, and our updated design still retains and pays homage to our past while reflecting a more modern and future-focused feel. One of our enduring strengths as a company has been the ability to adapt throughout the years, and this rebrand is yet another reflection of our dedication to bringing you the very latest in excellent value, high-quality escorted tours and holidays.