Gabo Quiros, Inside Travel’s global trade manager, told TTG that sales of group tours through agents had doubled in 2025 compared with the previous year, while tailormade itineraries have also seen 50% year-on-year growth.

It has already been a big year for the Bristol-based operator, which owns the InsideJapan and InsideAsia brands, with the recent launch of India as a new destination and the creation of a nine-strong global trade team to increase bookings from the trade.

Inside Travel also grabbed agents’ attention with its £25,000 "cultural adventure" incentive, which forms part of the Agent Insider programme and offers the winning agent the chance to share a holiday with family and/or friends.

Credit: Inside Travel Group

Quiros said this incentive has been “massive” for the company, with its database of agents “quadrupling” since its launch earlier in the year.

“Every booking is a separate entry into the draw, so the more bookings the more chances to win,” explained Quiros. “We’re also giving 10 entries for every India booking to promote the new destination."

Agents can continue to enter the incentive up to the end of the year, with the winner being drawn in early January, which will be shown on a live YouTube feed.

Quiros said this is just the start of a ramp up in trade activities, with plans to create a more structured exclusive programme of offers and incentives for agents in 2026.

“We will be developing that and will be looking at offers like a two-for-one deal for an agent travelling on their own holiday,” he explained. “People are very familiar with the brand for tailor-made trips but we want to actively and aggressively promote our small group tours.”

Even though it has expanded to other destinations around Asia over the years, Japan continues to be Inside Travel’s “top destination” and the number of group tours to the destination in 2026 is being raised to record levels to meet demand.

Quiros said they are consciously not pushing the peak cherry blossom season in the spring and are instead focusing on trips to Japan in the summer when “your money goes further”.

“We want to promote the shoulder seasons like summer as you get better accommodation, more experiences and better guides,” he explained. “We will also be promoting going to South Korea for the cherry blossom season, which not many people know about.”

Other developments for Inside Travel will include an increased focus on luxury trips and the promise of announcing two new destinations next year.

Quiros said these additional countries would be revealed next summer for departures from 2027. He added they would be in Asia without giving any further hints.