Experiences specialist Not In the Guidebooks (NITGB) has secured new investment and appointed Iglu.com founder Richard Downs as chair, to “accelerate” its next phase of “ambitious” expansion.
NITGB said the funding, led by investment company Maven Cognition, will “power” growth into new destinations and accelerate investment in its technology platform, “making it faster and simpler for travel agents to discover, package and book its itineraries”.
Launched in 2018, NITGB offers locally hosted experiences and accommodation, packaged and sold through a growing network of UK travel agencies.
The B Corp firm aims to help agents create complex itineraries with “genuine local connection and premium local accommodation” for clients who don’t want to join a group tour.
NITGB said that Downs brings “significant firepower” to the chair role.
“As founder of Iglu.com, he built one of the UK’s most successful online travel businesses, culminating in its sale to Flight Centre in 2025,” said a statement from NITGB.
“His appointment signals both the scale of NITGB’s ambitions and its commitment to building a category-defining business in immersive travel.”
Carol Savage, founder and chief executive of NITGB, said: “This investment and the addition of Richard as chair put us in a strong position to move faster – into new destinations, with better technology, and with an even stronger offer for our agent partners.
“We want to be the easiest, most compelling experiential travel business for agents to work with. That’s what this next phase is all about.”
Downs added: “Not In the Guidebooks has built a highly differentiated proposition in a part of the market that is seeing strong and sustained demand.
“The combination of a curated product, a scalable agent distribution model and a clear focus on immersive travel creates a compelling platform for growth.
“I’m excited to be joining the business at this stage and to support the team in delivering its next phase.”
Jenny Linney, portfolio director at Maven Cognition, said: “Not In the Guidebooks is well positioned within a growing experiential travel segment, with a clear route to scale through its established agent network.
“We look forward to working closely with the team as they execute their growth strategy.”
NITGB has a global network of more than 250 local experience partners across 25 countries and more than 1,200 experiential itineraries.
It works closely with travel agents across the UK and has established partnerships with major agencies including Hays Travel, Travel Counsellors and Co-op Travel, providing access to more than 15,000 agents nationwide.