Premier Holidays

Premier Holidays, tailor-made tour operating from Cambridgeshire

Premier Holidays is a privately owned, independent tour operator and forms part of the Premier Travel Group, a business established in 1936. The company positions itself around affordable, tailor-made holidays and states that it works with a broad spread of scheduled airlines, which allows departure days and trip lengths to be built around the client rather than fixed to set durations. Alongside packages, it arranges tailor-made itineraries and has organised trips for occasions such as honeymoons and anniversaries.

The operation is registered in Great Britain as Premier Holidays Ltd, with company registration number 1791598 and VAT registration number GB 720 2576 61. Its head office moved in 2016 to premises in Cambourne, Cambridgeshire.

Destinations across short-haul and faraway portfolios

The destination range has been built up brochure by brochure over several decades. Current featured destinations on the site include Malaysia, Pensacola, Eastern Canada and Australia, alongside island escapes to the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey promoted for 2027 with a £60pp deposit. Thailand, New Zealand and Jersey also appear among the offers highlighted.

Historically, the portfolio expanded as follows:

• Jersey holidays began operating from Cambridge Airport in 1979, with Guernsey following in 1980 and the first Channel Islands brochure published that year.
• An Asia brochure launched in 1989 and became a specialist portfolio; the Indian Ocean and Dubai were added in 1995.
• The Isle of Man joined the short-haul programme in 1996.
• A Canada brochure was introduced in 2003, with a standalone Canada brochure in 2011.
• South Africa was added in 2005, when the Asia brochure was renamed Faraway; a dedicated South Africa brochure followed in 2014.
• Australia and New Zealand were added to the portfolio in 2010.

Touring itineraries and self-drive trips

Among the recommended touring itineraries listed are a Classic Eastern Ontario Rail Escape of 8 nights from £1,859 per person, a self-drive Melbourne to Sydney Coastal Adventure of 14 nights from £2,939 per person, a self-drive Cape Town, Winelands & Garden Route trip of 10 nights from £2,299 per person, an independent Historic Route 66 of 14 nights from £2,869 per person, a part-escorted Journey to Borneo of 11 nights from £2,469 per person, an Isle of Man Heritage Walking Tour of 4 nights from £817 per person and an independent East Coast Island Hopper of 13 nights from £1,839 per person.

Offer examples shown at the time of writing include a 9-night South Africa Wildlife & Beach trip departing 10 May 2027 from £3,469 per person (a £560 saving) and a 9-night Phuket Getaway departing 23 May 2027 from £1,075 per person (a £276 saving). Closer to home, Jersey stays appear with added-value elements such as a free room upgrade and dinner, a free night with hotel credit and afternoon tea, or a beachside upgrade with dinner.

Premier Plus added-value offers

Across its destinations the company markets Premier Plus benefits intended to add value and a more personal element to bookings. These include early booking offers, free nights, guaranteed room upgrades and guaranteed late check-outs. Dedicated reservations teams handle bookings, and the company describes its travel advisors as experienced with specialist destination knowledge.

Financial protection and trade membership

Premier Holidays is a member of ABTA under membership number V0762 and abides by ABTA's Code of Conduct; for sea travel and accommodation-only bookings, customer monies are protected under the bond held with ABTA. Air holiday packages are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority under ATOL number 2713.

Group history and milestones

The wider Premier Travel Group began in 1936 when Premier launched and acquired bus routes between market towns in Cambridgeshire. Between 1952 and 1980, 18 branches opened across East Anglia selling coach, rail and holiday travel, a network the company now puts at 37 branches. Premier Airlines was formed in 1960 as the first commercial airline flying from Cambridge Airport to Jersey, and Premier Travel Agency became a limited company in 1963. Premier Holidays Ltd was incorporated in 1984.

Later milestones include the launch of a new reservations system in 2012, a revamp of all brochures in 2015 with more maps and destination guidance, the appointment of Niki Waters as Managing Director in 2017, and the addition of Debbie Goffin, Mark Godfrey and Heidi Blades to the board in 2018. The group marked its 85th year in 2020–2022, and in 2025 it expanded its sales team, launched a new reservation system and was named TTNG UK and short-breaks Provider of the Year 2025.