Why follow trends when you can set them instead? Trailfinders has been at the cutting edge of all things ‘travel’ for over 36 years maintaining a reputation for honesty, authenticity and integrity. Mike Gooley, a former SAS Officer, founded Trailfinders as an overland tour company in 1970 with a staff of four. By 1972, Trailfinders had become the first independent flight consolidator, offering exceptional value airfares worldwide. By bucking the trend for package holidays Trailfinders pioneered trailormade travel, where every holiday and client is treated as unique. Trailfinders opened its flagship travel centre in the heart of London in 1989. This new concept ‘one stop travel shop’ incorporated a Travel Clinic, retail space for books and travel essentials, a Passport and Visa Service, a dedicated First and Business Class department and a unique Information Centre. Today, Trailfinders employs over 1,000 staff across 27 travel centres in the UK, Ireland and Australia, sending around 800,000 clients abroad each year. Acquisitions include an airline, sports club, luxury rainforest lodge in far north Queensland and even a catering company. In addition, the Mike Gooley Trailfinders Charity has donated £12 million in the last 10 years, primarily to cancer research. Yet despite its tremendous growth, the company remains privately owned, continuing to innovate and go that extra mile for its clients: from chic city breaks to barefoot luxury beach retreats, wildlife safaris to dream holidays traveling around the world. Over the years Trailfinders has won numerous awards, not just from the trade but, more importantly, from the public – Observer readers voted it Best Travel Agent on seven occasions and Telegraph readers have awarded it Best Independent Travel Specialist every year since the awards began. Word of mouth has always been Trailfinders’ strongest marketing tool – over 80% are previous customers or were referred by friends. While Trailfinders does have a website there remains a deep-seated belief that there is no substitute for the value of the human touch. The Trailfinders brand is built around the skill of its Travel Consultants; their ability to piece together complex itineraries while maintaining the highest level of customer service. Contact Trailfinders and the person dealing with your travel arrangements will usually be a graduate, have traveled extensively in at least two continents and probably have visited where you want to go. From founder to consultant, the passion for travel and the sense of enjoyment, which stems from working with like minded people, is immediately apparent. Trailfinders actively encourage staff to continue with their travels; between them our consultants have visited over 90% of the world’s countries and traveled on average over 240,000 miles each, enough to take them around the world 8 times! Since the original backpacker first discovered Trailfinders in 1970, travellers’ expectations and aspirations have evolved. Yet the desire for an out-of-the-ordinary experience remains, allowing Trailfinders to stay true to its roots. By offering a personal service at unbeatable value Trailfinders continues to offer a world of choice that unites travellers by one thing: the desire to experience their chosen destination to the full.