Edwin Doran Sports Tours is the leading organiser of quality sports tours throughout the world, with offices in London, Manchester, Cape Town and Pretoria, and partners in Australia, Canada, Argentina, Chile, Middle East and the Far East.
Our history
Our expertise, passion and attention to detail has kept us at the forefront of sports touring for decades – and our small, personal size comes with PLC standards.
Edwin Doran Sports Tours was launched as one of the first operators of its kind back in 1974, and quickly became the leading brand in sports travel around the world. The man himself, Edwin Doran, founded the company after escaping the bureaucratic working conditions of an insurance firm for the free and expansive travel business. He injected a passion for sport that’s a defining feature of the organisation to this day.
Knowledge through experience
As a company, we are renowned for our experience, expertise and all-important extra touches. All our front-line staff play sport and have toured at some point, bringing extensive knowledge, innovative touring ideas and a friendly, personal approach. We have a passion for our chosen sports and destinations, and are dedicated to making all of our sports trips inspiring and unforgettable experiences for the people on them.
We have taken more teams on tour than any other sports tour operator – over 11,000 at the last count. Our staff have the know-how, gained over years in the business, to set up fixtures between equally matched teams. We use our extensive contacts to arrange billeting in host countries, so players on our school sports tours can really engage with the local people and culture.
Unrivalled customer support
Now part of the Travelopia Group of companies, Edwin Doran Sports Tours can support its customers like no other in terms of financial security, health and safety and on-tour support. At the same time it retains the personalisation of a small operator, drawing on the strengths of its long-serving staff.
Despite officially retiring in 2012, Edwin is never too far away, with regular appearances at the Rosslyn Park National School Sevens and other sporting events.
In 2022, our sister company Gullivers Sports Travel merged into Edwin Doran Sports Tours to consolidate our sports travel expertise and harness the combined resources and experience of the market’s two leading playing tours brands. Together, we benefit from an even stronger relationship and partnership with national governing bodies, professional clubs and tourist boards.
Our collective contacts throughout the world allow us to offer you the best possible experience in each destination, drawing on the best local assistance and expertise no matter where you choose to travel. Plus, we've taken the best operators from both businesses who now operate out of one location and are specialists in their sports and destinations.
Our combined sales team is now split into three regions, meaning we are able to be with you more often and spend more time making your tour ideas come to life, as well as offering even greater purchasing power, which gives us the opportunity to deliver the best quality tours at the best value for money.
