A Long-Term Partnership – Kirker Holidays and Swiss Tailor Made
Swiss Tailor Made has built a strong and successful partnership with Kirker Holidays, a UK-based high-end FIT tour operator. With a working relationship spanning over 15 years through our founder, James Wilson, Kirker has been a client of Swiss Tailor Made since inception. Our collaboration has grown over that time, helping to embed Switzerland products into Kirker Holiday’s portfolio.
This case study highlights three key initiatives, all interlinked, that demonstrate the strength and success of our partnership.
1. Expansion into group travel
The client’s objective
Kirker Holidays wanted to explore new business opportunities in group travel – a new area for them – with a focus on curated Swiss cultural experiences.
Our Approach
Working through Swiss Tailor Made’s DMC partner for groups, European Walking Tours (EWT) a new four-night group itinerary was developed, catering to Kirker’s core customer base. Centred around Lake Geneva, the programme features wine tastings and Swiss cultural experiences, all delivered by local experts. To add value to guests on the tour, we provide a professional guide and wine expert to accompany the group throughout to answer questions and add a personal, friendly touch.
The result
This bespoke itinerary is now a part of Kirker’s newly launched group programme, with the first guests booked to travel in spring 2026. Strong early sales figures show that Swiss Tailor Made has understood and delivered for the Kirker Holidays customer.
2. 5 star hotel additions
The client’s objective
Kirker’s product team needed to expand its portfolio of luxury Swiss hotels, focusing on the high-quality 5-star properties that its clients demand.
Our Approach
We introduced two properties in the right location and of the correct standard to suit their requirements.
The Waldhaus Sils-Maria, close to St Moritz, had been used periodically by Kirker in the past. We facilitated a direct contract arrangement to suit both parties.
The Lenkerhof Gourmet Spa Resort in the village of Lenk appealed as an off-the-beaten track property offering understated sophistication, exceptional cuisine and a state-of-the-art spa. This hotel filled a gap in Kirker’s existing offer in terms of location and experience.
Setting up direct contracts with the hotels has benefits for Kirker and their guests. A longer-term partnership means the hotel can better understand the guests, respond more quickly to specific requests and offer more favourable rates.
The Result
Kirker is now successfully selling both properties, with excellent guest feedback and strong occupancy rates. These new contracts have broadened their Swiss 5* property portfolio and allowed them to deliver better margins.
3. Supporting Travel Agent Educationals
The client’s objective
With approximately 60% of Kirker’s business coming through travel agents, product knowledge is a key priority. Of course, familiarisation trips are the best way to educate travel agents and enable them to experience the product as their customers will. Better knowledge means agents are more confident in the quality and experience they are selling, fam trips are a way of rewarding top performers and they also allow our Swiss partners a chance to talk directly to the people representing their brands.
Our Approach
We supported a recent fam trip for Kirker’s top agents, developing an engaging and packed itinerary, leading the trip and giving the attendees a chance to stay the two newly added 5* hotels – Waldhaus Sils and Lenkerhof. This hands-on experience allows agents to engage directly with the product and deepen their understanding. And, we also want them to have a good time in the process. Kirker’s guests enjoyed some fabulous food and experiences over their 4 day trip. Read more about it here.
The result
Through the delivery of June’s fam trip, we have helped support their travel agent sales channel, rewarding top performers and helping to embed knowledge of the destination and programme. Running trips such as this is hard work for our team, but incredibly rewarding and enjoyable! It’s extremely satisfying to facilitate direct engagement between our hotel owners and managers and the people on the front line, selling their products to the public.
A strong partnership leading to commercial success
Working closely with Kirker in these three, intertwined areas has allowed us to deepen our understanding of what the Kirker team and their customers require. We have been able to connect with top travel agents and get to know the team really well on a personal level.
We were able to hand-pick selected partners for their portfolio, inform and educate with emphasis on the right products and pro-actively engage with the Kirker team. The work we’ve done has also enabled Kirker to expand their Swiss programme, driving incremental revenue and meet commercial objectives
We are sure our partnership will continue to evolve and add value to the team, and we are extremely pleased to be working with such an enthusiastic team at Kirker Holidays.
