Kuoni has bought tour operator Carrier for an undisclosed sum as it pursues growth in the luxury travel sector.
The acquisition of the Cheshire-based luxury operator follows news the Kuoni Group has bought Melbourne-based Australian Tours Management this week to bolster its destination management division.
Carrier will form part of Kuoni UK’s strategic business division Style, sitting alongside luxury operator CV Travel, acquired last year, and Kirker Holidays, bought in 2006. The Carrier brand will be retained, as will all 84 staff, including its senior management team.
Reto Wilhelm, who heads up the Style division, said: “We expect to generate a lot of synergies with CV and Kirker, our existing luxury brands. We also see sizeable potential to collaborate in our marketing to Kuoni’s high-end customers and Carrier’s premium customer base.”
Carrier is a tour operator specialising in tailormade travel worldwide and is particularly strong in the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and Europe, and in beach, safari, and ski holidays and guided tours. Founded in 1980, Carrier also owns a retail agency. It expects to report total turnover of £36 million for the financial year ended September 30, 2008.