About
Us
Why
AAT Kings? - Who is AAT Kings?
AAT
Kings is the leading coach tour operator in Australia
and New Zealand, with a long history in providing
quality touring experiences, which can be traced back
to the early 1900's.
AAT
Kings customers can choose from a wide range of escorted
tours, independent touring packages, Small Group Outback
Adventures, Camping Tours and sightseeing tour programs
throughout Australia and New Zealand with itineraries
ranging in length from half-day city sight tours to
extended 31-day countrywide tours.
AAT
Kings offers holidays in the Northern Territory, Queensland,
South East Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania
and New Zealand - including a Low Cost escorted holiday
program in New Zealand, Tasmania and Queensland .
AAT
Kings provides exceptional service with professional
and experienced tour directors able to advise on opportunities
for independent sightseeing, shopping and dining,
in addition to their extensive tour knowledge.
Recognised
as a leader in its field, AAT Kings broke new ground
in indigenous tourism in April 2002 by becoming the
first national tour operator to incorporate interactive
Aboriginal Cultural Experiences in its main touring
program.
AAT
Kings also pioneered the 'short break' independent
touring concept in the Northern Territory . The Independent
Touring program offers a wide range of short holiday
options designed to appeal to all travellers - whether
they are after a morning sightseeing tour or an 11-day
tour.
The
History of AAT Kings
The
development of AAT Kings to its position today as
one of Australia 's largest and most diverse touring
companies can be traced back to the early 1900's.
Starting
out as Pykes Tours, one of the original components
of AAT, the company pioneered sightseeing in Sydney
with a pre-World War 1 drive yourself car service.
In
the 1920's Colonel Pyke extended the business to motor
tours of Katoomba and Jenolan Caves using seven seater
cars. Coaches were first introduced in 1935 and raised
the passenger capacity to 14.
The
first ten tourist licences issued by the New South
Wales Government Motor Transport Department were registered
to the company and are still held and operated today
by AAT Kings Tours Pty Ltd.
The
first association with the current company name occurred
when three early Australian bus companies, Grenda's
Bus Service of Dandenong, Pykes Tours and Blue Line
coaches of Sydney, were amalgamated and named Australian
Accommodated Tours (AAT). AAT was owned by TAA (now
Qantas Domestic) and Mayne Nickless. Its purpose was
to provide coach tours in competition to Ansett Pioneer,
which was owned by Ansett Airlines.
During
the 1970's and early 1980's, AAT bought out several
smaller companies, each continuing to operate under
its own name. They included Bill King's Australian
Adventure Tours, Grand Central Tours, Red Centre Tours
and CATA (Central Australia Tours Association). Although
successful, the company still had a great deal of
unrealised potential.
The
opportunity to unleash some of this potential came
in the early 1980's when an approach by AAT's owners
to the Page McGeary partnership for the purchase of
their coach operation, Australian Pacific Tours, actually
resulted in the Page McGeary Group purchasing AAT
and its companies from TAA in November 1983.
The
Page McGeary partnership had been formed in 1967 from
the amalgamation of Melbourne Motor Coach Service
(the Page family business) and McGeary Parlour Coaches
(another family owned operation), each with histories
dating back to the 1920's.
Under
the ownership of the Page and McGeary families, AAT,
Bill Kings Australian Adventure Tours, CATA and other
smaller companies were amalgamated and the administration
centralised. Depots in Melbourne and Alice Springs
were maintained and further depots established in
Sydney, Ayers Rock and Darwin.
The
company name of AAT Kings Tours Pty Ltd was then established
and the business continued to operate under the Page
McGeary partnership for the next ten years.
This
period saw AAT Kings continue to grow successfully
and when the Page McGeary partnership eventually dissolved
in 1993, AAT Kings was firmly placed as a major Australian
coach tour operator, under the sole ownership of Mayer
Page. With a new spirit of competition, the company
then successfully undertook the challenge of becoming
"Australia's Premier Tour Operator".
In
December 1997, AAT Kings was sold to The Travel Corporation,
a large and highly successful international travel
group comprising well recognised and regarded names
as Trafalgar Tours, Contiki Holidays, Insight Vacations,
Destination America, Busabout Europe, Classic Oriental
Tours and Creative Holidays. This exciting development
has opened new doors for the company and given it
the backing of one of the world's largest travel groups.
AAT
Kings Tours now offers a diverse product range that
is unequalled by other operators providing specialist,
premium quality touring holidays. Options include
premium and low cost escorted holidays, camping adventures,
small group outback adventures, independent touring
packages, sightseeing tours and charter coaches and
specialist itineraries to suit the specific touring
needs of clients.
The
company currently has international offices in New
Zealand, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States
and Canada .
|
