The tour operator is connected to the international Globus Travel Group, founded in 1928, which remains family owned with headquarters in Lugano, Switzerland.

By 1950, Globus Viaggi had grown to a fleet of 33 coaches and featured overnight excursions to Rome, Venice, the Dolomites and the French Riviera.

The company was created to provide British customers with affordable package holidays by coach and air travel to Europe.

Destinations included Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and Austria by motor coach from London's Victoria station, and by flights from Southend and Lympne airports.

Although the company's main programme focused on motor coach tours, it soon increased the choice of air package holidays too.

In September 1991, the Globus Travel Group acquired 80% of Avro Plc, a flight-only company set up by Paul Dendle.

In 2002, Cosmos launched an accommodation-only brand, somewhere2stay, which supplied hotel, apartment and villa accommodation to the UK travel trade.

From 1 April 2017, the tour operator regained all rights to the brand Cosmos, having reached a formal agreement with Monarch which terminated the licence covering the use of the name.