Advantage to withdraw from Triton merger talks – 25 May 2007

Travel agency consortium Advantage is to pull out of merger talks with other members of Triton.

Discussions on a full merger of Advantage, Global and Worldchoice began just before the recent Triton conference.

But after talks at board level this week, Advantage managing director John McEwan said the consortium did not believe it would be able to safeguard the current and future interests of its members, including its business travel Advantage Focus Group.

He said: “We had an obligation to consider a merger as a potential benefit to our members. And in the same way, we had an obligation to cease discussions when it was concluded our members’ best interests could not be served.

“We are confident the discussion not to pursue a merger will in no way weaken the strength and value of the Advantage membership proposition. Rather our plan is to strengthen that proposition as we have exciting plans in both the leisure and business travel arenas.”

Advantage, which has a turnover of more than £2 billion, said it would continue to remain an active member of Triton.