Explore Worldwide has announced a powerful start to 2026, with a bumper January delivering strong early momentum and signalling another year of sustained growth for the business.
*All details correct at time of publish (04 February 2026)
The company has already achieved over 70% of its 2026 sales target, underlining robust consumer confidence in adventure travel and a continued appetite for immersive, experience-led journeys.
Cycling holidays are proving particularly popular, up 34% year-on-year, while long-haul destinations are outperforming Europe, with standout growth including Costa Rica up 118% compared to last year. Premium travel is also on the rise, with upgraded bookings increasing by 40%.
Sales have been further fuelled by another highly successful Big Blue Sale, which delivered a bumper year of bookings. The top five trips by passenger numbers were:
- Simply Japan
- Costa Rica Wildlife Tour
- Jordan Discovery
- Highlights of Albania
- Walking in Madeira
In a press release, the company revealed that family travel also continues to perform strongly, with Morocco, Egypt and Vietnam emerging as the top three destinations.
It also said that trade partnerships remain a core growth driver for the business. Travel trade bookings in January were up 24% year-on-year globally, and a huge 40% up in the UK, and now account for 25% of all business, compared with 21% last year.
This reflects Explore Worldwide’s sustained investment in trade, including increased budgets and staffing across the UK agency team and in North America and Australia/New Zealand.
The strong start to 2026 follows a third consecutive record-breaking year of bookings for Explore Worldwide, with the company now firmly on track to hit its target in another year of growth.
Michael Edwards, Managing Director of Explore Worldwide, said: “This is an exceptionally strong start to 2026 and a clear signal of the confidence travellers have in adventure travel and in Explore Worldwide as a brand.
“We’re seeing growing demand for long-haul, active and experience-rich trips, alongside continued growth in upgraded and cycling travel. Our three bestselling trips for travel agents during the Big Blue Sale were Japan, Costa Rica and Sri Lanka, showing the demand for long-haul destinations.
“Our performance in January reflects the strength of our product, the success of the Big Blue Sale, and the impact of our long-term strategy, particularly our commitment to building strong trade partnerships globally.
“We’re in a very strong position for the year ahead, and the momentum we’re seeing gives us real confidence in another year of sustainable growth for the business.”
With strong forward bookings, expanding trade relationships and continued consumer demand for small group adventure travel, Explore Worldwide enters 2026 with clear momentum and a confident outlook for the year ahead.
For more information, visit Explore Worldwide.
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