On the Beach
On the Beach is a British online travel retailer specialising in short- and medium-haul flight-and-hotel package holidays, particularly to European beach destinations.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
On the Beach is a British online travel retailer focused on packaged beach holidays that combine flights and accommodation. The business primarily serves customers seeking short- and medium-haul leisure trips from the United Kingdom to destinations in Europe and nearby resort markets. Its proposition is built around digital holiday search and booking, allowing customers to compare and purchase flight-and-hotel packages through the On the Beach website and related services. The business was established by Simon Cooper, who had entered the travel sector through a student-oriented ski holiday company called On the Piste. That earlier company arranged comparatively inexpensive coach-based ski trips to the French Alps. Cooper began developing On the Beach in 2004, and later devoted his attention to the new online holiday platform after Thomson Holidays, now associated with TUI UK, acquired On the Piste in 2008. On the Beach developed from a flight-and-hotel booking service into a broader holiday retail and support proposition. In 2011 it acquired Resort Taxis from administration and subsequently rebranded that operation as On the Beach Transfers. The transfer service supported travellers in popular destinations including Egypt, Turkey, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, mainland Spain, Greece and the Algarve. In the same year, the business created On the Beach Beds, a hotel-contracting operation intended to obtain accommodation directly from hotels and improve control over availability and pricing. A 24-hour resort support service was introduced in January 2012, giving customers access to assistance while travelling. The company attracted private-equity investment during its expansion. Livingbridge acquired a majority stake in 2007, and sold a majority interest to Inflexion Equity Partners in 2013. On the Beach subsequently expanded outside the United Kingdom by launching a Swedish operation under the ebeach.se domain in 2015. Later that year, the company was admitted to the London Stock Exchange, giving the business access to public capital and a quoted market valuation. Further growth came through the acquisition of Sunshine.co.uk in 2017. Sunshine was another online travel agency and its integration broadened On the Beach's customer and distribution base. The group also invested in its Manchester presence, opening a digital headquarters in the Aeroworks building in Ancoats in 2018. Marketing has been an important part of the brand's identity. On the Beach aired its first television advertisement in December 2013, with the 'Totally Beachin Holidays' campaign filmed in Corralejo, Fuerteventura and initially broadcast in the English Midlands through ITV and Channel 4. The brand's communications generally emphasise accessible, warm-weather holidays and the convenience of booking flights and accommodation together. On the Beach's core business remains online holiday retail rather than traditional high-street travel agency operation. Its offer combines digital booking, accommodation contracting, destination transfers and in-resort customer support. The company is associated with the On the Beach Group plc corporate structure and remains headquartered in Manchester. Publicly available reference material identifies its principal focus as European short- and medium-haul flight-and-hotel package holidays; more detailed current information about ownership, leadership and market share is not established in the supplied sources.
History
On the Beach was developed by Simon Cooper, whose initial experience in travel came from founding On the Piste, a budget ski-holiday company serving student groups travelling by coach to the French Alps. Cooper began the On the Beach venture in 2004, with an emphasis on selling beach holidays online. When Thomson Holidays acquired On the Piste in 2008, Cooper focused fully on On the Beach. The company received private-equity backing as it expanded. Livingbridge acquired a majority stake in 2007 for £36 million. In 2008, the business moved to larger premises at Spectrum House on Towers Business Park in Didsbury, Manchester, to accommodate its growing workforce. Its service proposition broadened in 2011, when it acquired Resort Taxis from administration for £10,000. The operation was renamed On the Beach Transfers in 2012 and supported customers travelling to destinations including Egypt, Turkey, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, mainland Spain, Greece and the Algarve. On the Beach also established On the Beach Beds in 2011, a hotel-contracting arm designed to negotiate directly with accommodation providers. In January 2012, the company added a 24-hour resort support service for customers in selected destinations. By the end of that year, it had moved its headquarters to a 17,500-square-foot property in Cheadle, near Stockport. Livingbridge sold a majority stake to Inflexion Equity Partners in October 2013 at an enterprise value of £73 million. The company made its first international move in January 2015 by launching in Sweden through ebeach.se. In September of that year, On the Beach was floated on the London Stock Exchange at a reported valuation of £240 million. The group continued its online travel expansion in May 2017 by purchasing Sunshine.co.uk for £12 million. In November 2018, it opened a new digital headquarters at the Aeroworks building in Manchester's Ancoats district. Brand marketing became increasingly visible through television advertising. On 26 December 2013, On the Beach broadcast its first television advertisement. The 'Totally Beachin Holidays' campaign was filmed in Corralejo, Fuerteventura, and initially aired across the Midlands on ITV and Channel 4. The historical record supplied for this dossier presents On the Beach as a Manchester-based online travel retailer and part of the publicly listed On the Beach Group plc. Its central activity is the sale of flight-and-hotel package holidays, complemented by hotel contracting, destination transfers and resort support. The supplied sources do not establish a complete list of current directors, executives, present-day ownership arrangements, or detailed recent operating statistics.
- 2018
Ancoats digital headquarters opens
[1]The group opened a new digital headquarters at Aeroworks in Ancoats, Manchester.
- 2017
Sunshine.co.uk acquisition
[1]On the Beach acquired rival online travel agency Sunshine.co.uk.
- 2015
Swedish launch and stock-market flotation
[1]The company launched in Sweden and was admitted to the London Stock Exchange later that year.
- 2013
Inflexion becomes majority investor
[1]Inflexion Equity Partners acquired a majority stake from Livingbridge at an enterprise value of £73 million.
- 2012
Resort support service launches
[1]A 24-hour resort support service was introduced, and the company moved its headquarters to Cheadle.
- 2011
Expansion into transfers and hotel contracting
[1]On the Beach acquired Resort Taxis and established On the Beach Beds to develop direct hotel contracting.
- 2008
Move to larger Didsbury premises
[1]The company relocated to larger offices at Spectrum House in Didsbury, Manchester.
- 2007
Livingbridge acquires a majority stake
[1]Private-equity investor Livingbridge acquired a majority interest in the company for £36 million.
- 2004
On the Beach venture begins
[1]Simon Cooper began developing On the Beach as a new online holiday business.
Products and positioning
A digital-first, value-oriented holiday retailer specialising in convenient flight-and-hotel packages to European beach destinations, supported by optional transfers and in-resort assistance.
Online travel agency services · 2004
Flight-and-hotel package holidays
The core On the Beach offer combines flights and hotel accommodation into bookable short- and medium-haul package holidays. The principal destination focus is European beach and resort travel, with the digital platform enabling customers to search, compare and purchase holiday combinations online.
Hotel contracting · 2011
On the Beach Beds
Established in 2011, On the Beach Beds was intended to contract directly with hotels. The operation supported the group's accommodation supply strategy by seeking improved access to hotel inventory and commercially competitive rates for package construction.
Destination transfers · 2012
On the Beach Transfers
On the Beach Transfers developed from the Resort Taxis business acquired in 2011 and rebranded in 2012. It provides or arranges transfer services for holidaymakers in selected resort destinations, including markets in Spain, Greece, Turkey, Egypt and the Algarve.
Travel support services · 2012
24-hour resort support
Introduced in January 2012, the resort support service provides customers with contact points while travelling in selected popular destinations. It extends the brand relationship beyond the initial online booking and into the holiday period.
Marketing campaigns
- 2013Totally Beachin Holidays
United Kingdom · English Midlands
On the Beach's first television advertising campaign was filmed in Corralejo, Fuerteventura. It was broadcast across the Midlands on ITV and Channel 4 and presented the brand around warm-weather, beach-focused holidays.
Outcome. The campaign marked the brand's move into television advertising and increased its exposure beyond digital travel-booking channels.
Brand decisions
2017
Acquisition of Sunshine.co.ukM&ABackground
On the Beach sought to increase its scale in the online travel-agency market through the purchase of a rival platform.
Action taken
The group acquired Sunshine.co.uk for a reported total cost of £12 million.
Aftermath
The acquisition expanded the group's online travel portfolio and customer reach.
Acquisition cost. £12 million (2017)
2015
International expansion into SwedenStrategyBackground
After building its United Kingdom online holiday operation, On the Beach pursued expansion into another European customer market.
Action taken
The company launched a Swedish operation using the ebeach.se domain.
Aftermath
Sweden became an additional operating market for the group.
2015
London Stock Exchange flotationOtherBackground
The company had expanded its online travel and ancillary service activities and sought access to public equity markets.
Action taken
On the Beach was floated on the London Stock Exchange in September 2015.
Aftermath
The business became a publicly traded travel retailer.
2011
Acquisition of Resort TaxisM&ABackground
The online travel retailer was expanding the range of services available to holidaymakers in its major resort destinations.
Action taken
On the Beach acquired Resort Taxis from administration for £10,000 and later rebranded the business as On the Beach Transfers.
Aftermath
The transaction added transfer capability to the group's package-holiday proposition.
Acquisition price. £10,000 (2011)
Sources2 sources
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