Today, My Travel plc (formerly Airtours plc) is a major player for air-inclusive holidays and other leisure travel services in the UK, Northern Europe, Germany and North America. In the year of writing (02), My Travel's fleet of four ships takes more than 84,000 people on cruises to 43 ports around the world.
The Airtours story began in 1972, when entrepreneur, David Crossland purchased Pendle Travel Services, a travel agency business comprising of just two stores in Lancashire. A second travel agency business was acquired shortly after from Albert and Ivy Roberts who had registered it using their initials, A.I.R. Tours. The Airtours name was born.
The business expanded and in 1980 they developed their first package holidays. These offered value for money, encouraging people to holiday abroad - often for the first time. However, the story really begins when Airtours floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1987 with a market capitalisation of £28m. In March 1991 Airtours' own airline began commercial flying.
By 1992 Airtours had created a chain of 712 'Going Places' Travel Agent shops, which quickly gained a presence in most of the UK's main shopping centres.
In April 1994 the cruises division of Airtours was founded to provide British holidaymakers with air and sea vacation packages at affordable rates. The cruise liner, MS Seawing was acquired, shortly to be followed by MS Carousel, for a sell-out programme of fly-cruises, which started operating from summer 1995. The Going Places Travel Agencies played a key role in promoting the cruises.
In 1996, Airtours announced an agreement with Carnival Corporation where Carnival would acquire 29 per cent of Airtour shares. The Group also acquired a third cruise ship, MS Sundream. In 1997, Airtours acquired a stake in Costa Crociere, the world's fourth largest cruise business specialising in Mediterranean cruising. In 1999, they acquired their fourth ship named MS Sunbird.
In February 2002 the new name of 'My Travel plc' was adopted by all the former Airtours brands, with a change of livery.