COMPANYHISTORIES
SIC 4725

Tour Operators

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

33companies1906–1996founding years29still active4no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedKuoni Travel Holding Ltd.
1906
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedAttica Enterprises S.A.
1918
FoundedFinnair Oyj
1923
FoundedAer Lingus Group plc
1936
FoundedIcelandair
1937
FoundedCarlson Companies, Inc.
1938
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedEl Corte Inglés Group
1940
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedGulf Air Company
1950
FoundedJapan Airlines Company, Ltd.
1953
FoundedSime Darby Berhad
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedPleasant Holidays LLC
1959
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedGenting Bhd.
1965
FoundedSelectour SA
1970
FoundedAmtran, Inc.FoundedFirst Choice Holidays PLC
1973
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedEurope Through the Back Door Inc.
1976
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedHong Kong Dragon Airlines Ltd.
1985
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
FoundedCarlson Wagonlit Travel
1994
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Haci Omer Sabanci Holdings A.S. →
Active · Turkey
Haci Omer Sabanci Holdings A.S.
Kuoni Travel Holding Ltd. →
Active · founded 1906 · Switzerland
Kuoni Travel Holding Ltd.
Attica Enterprises S.A. →
Active · founded 1918 · Greece
Greece's Attica Enterprises S.A.
Karstadt Quelle AG →
Defunct · founded 1920 · Germany
Karstadt Quelle AG is the product of the 1999 merger between German retail powerhouse Karstadt Aktiengesellschaft and…
Finnair Oyj →
Active · founded 1923 · Finland
Based in Helsinki, Finnair Oyj is the national airline of Finland and the fifth oldest airline in the world.
British Airways PLC →
Active · founded 1924 · England
British Airways PLC is the largest international airline in the world.
Aer Lingus Group plc →
Active · founded 1936 · Ireland
A relatively late starter among European flag carriers, Aer Lingus Group plc has grown quickly in its first few decades…
Air Canada →
Active · founded 1937 · Canada
Air Canada is the only national, full-service airline based in Canada.
Icelandair →
Active · founded 1937 · Iceland
Icelandair (Fluglei'ir hf.), Iceland's largest publicly traded company, has played off its unique mid-Atlantic location…
Carlson Companies, Inc. →
Active · founded 1938
Carlson Companies, Inc.
Air New Zealand Limited →
Active · founded 1940 · New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited (ANZ) is New Zealand's largest airline.
El Corte Inglés Group →
Active · founded 1940 · Spain
El Corte Inglés, S.A.
Société Luxembourgeoise de Navigation Aérienne S.A. →
Active · founded 1948 · Luxembourg
Société Luxembourgeoise de Navigation Aérienne S.A.
Gulf Air Company →
Active · founded 1950 · Bahrain
Gulf Air Company is the national airline of Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1952 · Japan
All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd.
Japan Airlines Company, Ltd. →
Active · founded 1953 · Japan
Japan Airlines Company, Ltd.
Austrian Airlines AG (Österreichische Luftverkehrs AG) →
Active · founded 1957 · Austria
Austrian Airlines AG (Österreichische Luftverkehrs AG) has traditionally been known as 'little brother' to its German…
Sime Darby Berhad →
Active · founded 1958 · Malaysia
Sime Darby Berhad is the largest conglomerate in Malaysia and one of the largest in southeast Asia.
Pleasant Holidays LLC →
Active · founded 1959
Pleasant Holidays LLC is a Westlake Village, California, company that offers wholesale tour packages to Hawaii,…
Koç Holding A.S. →
Active · founded 1963 · Turkey
Koç (pronounced "coach") is a name immediately recognized in Turkey, but virtually unknown elsewhere.
Genting Bhd. →
Active · founded 1965 · Malaysia
Genting Bhd.
Air Jamaica Limited →
Active · founded 1968 · Jamaica
Air Jamaica Limited operates the national airline of Jamaica.
Selectour SA →
Active · founded 1970 · France
Selectour SA is France's leading network of independent travel agencies.
Airtours Plc →
Active · founded 1972 · England
Airtours Plc is one of the largest integrated tour operators and travel agents in the European and North American…
Amtran, Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1973
Amtran, Inc.
First Choice Holidays PLC →
Active · founded 1973 · United Kingdom
Having escaped a hostile takeover attempt by larger rival Airtour Plc, and at the same time seeing the collapse of a…
Virgin Group →
Active · founded 1973 · United Kingdom
Virgin Group is a diversified grouping of more than 200 privately held companies.
Europe Through the Back Door Inc. →
Active · founded 1976
Europe Through the Back Door Inc.
America West Holdings Corporation →
Defunct · founded 1981
Of the more than 150 U.S.
Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Ltd. →
Defunct · founded 1985 · Hong Kong
Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Ltd., better known as Dragonair, is Hong Kong's second largest airline.
The Emirates Group →
Active · founded 1985 · United Arab Emirates
The Emirates Group is composed of airport services provider DNATA (the Dubai National Air Transport Association) and…
Carlson Wagonlit Travel →
Active · founded 1994
With more than 3,000 offices in more than 140 countries, Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) is the second-largest travel…
Expedia, Inc. →
Active · founded 1996
Expedia, Inc.
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