Cox & Kings Celebrates 250th Anniversary

This year, the world’s longest established travel company, Cox & Kings, celebrates its 250th anniversary. The company’s history dates back to 1758, when Richard Cox was appointed regimental agent to the Foot Guards (later the Grenadier Guards).

Cox was responsible for arranging officers’ payment, organising the provision of clothing and overseeing the buying and selling of officers’ commissions.

By the end of the 18th century, Cox & Co acted as agents for 14 regiments of cavalry, 64 infantry regiments and 17 militia regiments, becoming the largest military agent for the army.

Since then, its operations as Cox & Co, and subsequently Cox & Kings, have included banking, shipping and travel. Today, as an upmarket tour operator, the company has operations in London, the USA, Japan and throughout India.

Cox & Kings’ Managing Director, Peter Kerkar, said: “Our company has had a long and illustrious history. Richard Cox’s remarkable success was built on a reputation for integrity, attention to detail and reliability. Today, 250 years on, these same values underpin all our operations and create a heightened sense of responsibility for all of us at Cox & Kings. 2008 is an extraordinary landmark year for us and we embark on the company’s second 250 years with a continuing sense of adventure.”

Cox & Kings organises escorted small-group tours and private tailor-made travel in six core regions of specialisation: the Indian Subcontinent, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, the Far East and Europe.

For 2008, Cox & Kings has further expanded its programme, and is featuring a number of countries for the first time, including Tunisia, Rwanda, the Falkland Islands, Georgia and Armenia. It is also running a number of expert-led tours: India with John Sergeant, Southern China with Douglas Hurd, and Cuba with Lord Hattersley.

For more information on the history of Cox & Kings, or on any of its destinations, visit Coxandkings.co.uk.