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Tour guide firm Touriocity aims to sell through trade

A bespoke tour guide service is keen to work with travel agents who want to offer added value and customised trips to clients.

Touriocity was founded in 2014 by chief executive Alex Grant and is part-funded by the founders of CarTrawler, Scott Dunn, Context Travel and Attraction Tickets Direct.

It works with partners including Gatwick and Mr & Mrs Smith hotel group, and has a white-label offering for hotels and airlines.

Touriocity is in talks with an online travel agency, but Grant hopes to establish a closer relationship with high street agents.

The company, which sells in the US, UK and Australia, specialises in affordable, private tailor-made tours in more than 50 cities.

Grant said: “We want to build our business with agents. It’s a matter of getting our name out there and seeing what agents want. We are keen to distribute in as many channels as we can.”

The move to work closely with the trade follows increased demand for customised private tours. “We are finding more people in the UK are booking private tours; they want to get under the skin of a city. Quite often our best reviews are from UK travellers because they are shocked by how much they enjoyed it,” he said.

The company claims private tours can often be cheaper than large group tours and could add value, particularly for agents putting together dynamic packages.

The company offers agents a flat rate for them to mark-up.

Its three-hour Heart of Rome walking tour costs £26.75 per person based on four people.

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