South African resort owner the Zorgvliet Group has
agreed a seven-figure sum to buy St Andrews Travel as it tries to
establish a foothold in the UK travel market for its five-star
resorts.
Andrew Dickson, who with his wife Pat founded St Andrews 22
years ago, will become one of three directors of the company which
will retain its name once the hunt for a new managing director has
been completed.
Following a six-month handover period he will stop working at St
Andrews, which has five agencies in the Bolton area, to become an
ambassador for the Zorgvliet Group in the UK. He will also help the
company, which owns a wine estate near Stellenbosch, to establish a
wine importing business.
Dickson said the independence of St Andrews would be retained
and no redundancies made. St Andrews’ agencies could be
opened in South Africa offering specialist cruise and long-haul
products and Dickson will work to get Zorgvliet-owned hotels into
UK brochures and could even set up a tour operation himself.
Dickson will retain his position as an ABTA board director. St
Andrews Business Travel will remain a separate company and will be
renamed SAT Business Travel Management.
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