CTC Cycling Holidays & Tours to cease trading

The Directors of CTC Cycling Holidays & Tours Ltd and the Cycling UK Board sadly announce that after 20 years and hundreds of tours across the globe, Cycling UK’s subsidiary trading arm, CTC Cycling Holidays & Tours Ltd (CTC H&T) will cease trading in October 2021. CTC H&T will be honouring holiday bookings already made and will run the remaining tours this season where the minimum participant levels have been reached.

It has not been an easy decision, but the ongoing holiday travel chaos caused by the coronavirus pandemic has forced everyone in the travel industry to take a hard look at their operating model and viability in an uncertain future. CTC Cycling Holidays and Tours has had to cancel the bulk of this and last year’s tours and to weather the subsequent loss of income.

In response, Cycling UK trustees alongside the CTC Cycling Holidays & Tours directors have looked at a variety of options to enable the company to continue, that are both compatible with charitable aims and, crucially, what the market demands and the resource required in order to deliver it.

Cycling UK’s CTC Cycling Holidays & Tours model was unique in being set up to provide a framework for cycle tours, designed and led by volunteers for other members and at one time it boasted thousands of participants. Alas, this has dropped significantly in recent years. Notwithstanding the pandemic and recognising that the current tours are valued by the few who currently take part, over the last few years there has been a low level of demand for the tours from our own members and the wider public.

The CTC Cycling Holidays & Tours volunteer board and volunteer tour leaders have worked hard over the last few years to restructure the company to meet changes in legislation, deliver the governance required by the business and to continue to comply with travel regulations.

Looking to the future, market research was carried out which identified that customers are now looking for a wider range and more supported cycling holiday experience.  

For the 2022 season Cycling UK are exploring options to promote a far broader range of holidays, from a group of trusted suppliers catering for a wide range of cycling capabilities with a variety of durations and destinations, both in the UK and worldwide while meeting our environmental aims.

Cycling UK would like to recognise and thank the CTC H&T Directors, Jonathan Naughton and notably Jim Maynard who set up the CTC Cycling Holidays & Tours Company in order to provide cycling holidays to CTC members within the travel regulations and still chairs the company; other directors past and present who have given up valuable time to lead the company; all the volunteer tour leaders who have given so freely of their time and touring expertise over the years, and to the participants who have all added to that unique ‘CTC Tours’ camaraderie.

If you have any queries about this decision please contact: haveyoursay@cyclinguk.org