Abercrombie & Kent and sister tour operator Cox & Kings are to join trade marketing group Tipto.

They will become the 14th supplier in the Truly Independent Travel Organisation, when they join as a dual-branded member.

Tipto, now in its 23rd year, is planning at least 25 events over the next 12 months. It had previously said it only expected to have around 12 members by the autumn.

Recent new members include Virgin Voyages and Carnival Cruise Line.

A&K offers tailormade, luxury holidays and escorted tours, including expedition cruising and villas, while Cox & Kings sells upmarket small group tours, tailormade trips and single centre tours featuring luxury and adventure.

Cox & Kings joined the Abercrombie & Kent group in December 2019. The operators have a shared sales team on the road visiting travel agents, including Mark Harris and Sarah Turner.

Mark Harris, agency sales manager for the south and London for both brands, said: “We are excited to be joining Tipto and continuing our commitment to supporting our agent partners and the wider travel trade community.

“The forthcoming Tipto Roadshows give us a great opportunity to bring the luxury travel experiences of Abercrombie & Kent and Cox & Kings to life, as well as showcasing the support that our trade sales team, trade marketing team and specialist sales consultants can offer.”

Tipto chairman Nick Hughes, sales director at Gold Medal, said: “It’s fantastic to welcome another great brand and product offering to the Tipto family, giving agents and homeworkers even more specialist knowledge and training so that they can confidently promote Tipto supplier members and increase their offering to their customer base. We look forward to working with the team at Abercrombie & Kent/Cox & Kings.”

Tipto has seven Face 2 Face with Tipto roadshows coming up this month and next. They are in Carlisle on October 6; Preston on October 7; Bristol on October 14; Solihull on November 10: Worcester on November 11; Portsmouth on November 17; and Bournemouth on November 18.

Agent attending the events will hear from up to 12 of the group’s 14 supplier members and enjoy a two-course dinner and drinks, including the chance to win prizes such as fam trip places and shopping vouchers.

Tipto’s current members are: Abercrombie & Kent/Cox & Kings, Biblio Travel, Carnival Cruise Line, CroisiEurope, Fred Holidays, Gold Medal, Holiday Extras, Newmarket Holidays, Palladium Hotel Group, RCD Hotels, Scenic & Emerald Cruises, Titan Travel, Travelpack and Virgin Voyages.

Agents who wish to attend should register at tipto.co.uk or contact Tipto on team@tipto.co.uk.