Adventure Tours UK was crowned the Tourism and Leisure Start Up of the Year at this year’s Wales Start Up Awards.
Offering a range of multi-day experiences, the firm have carefully crafted world-class outdoor adventure holidays. They are also the only tour operator in Wales that run small group tours for the adventure market with responsible travel at their heart.
Founded to address the lack of package deals available to travellers hoping to visit Wales, Jim Gaffney and Claire Copeman are true believers in the potential of Wales;
“We’re genuinely proud of how much Wales has to offer: incredible wild spaces, spectacular wildlife, thrilling activity experiences, delicious foodie experiences and a warm Welsh welcome. We started out with a desire to share this with more people who don’t recognise this aspect of the UK. As we began our initial research, we were struck by the statistic that only 3% of the UK’s overseas visitors come to Wales. That alone made us more determined than ever to turn Wales around, stamping its position on the global adventure map.”
The pair each bring a complimentary background to Adventure Tours UK. Claire brings 18 years of experience in the marketing world and Jim brings 14 years’ experience working within the sector itself through a mountain biking visitor centre.
With their ample experience in mind, the pair are currently seeking investment to continue to grow the business through 2020 and beyond. Currently their offering is more centred on the North Wales market, but they hope to expand to be able to cover the entirety of Wales before taking their vision further afield.
Speaking on their win at the Wales Start Up Award Claire commented;
“To be recognised for our efforts and ambitions at this early stage in our business is just incredible. We’re so proud of everything we have achieved in our first year and are looking forward to continuing our success into 2020 and beyond. Winning the award for Tourism & Leisure is a real honour for the whole team at this exciting time.”
