Thomson Sport has signed a three-year partnership with Arsenal Football Club to be its exclusive UK travel agency partner, team travel supplier and supporters’ travel supplier.
Thomson Sport will supply and manage all travel arrangements for Arsenal and Arsenal Ladies, both within the UK and in mainland Europe, as well as providing executive travel to the club’s key stakeholders including sponsors and members of the press.
TUI Travel’s Darren Mee with Arsenal manager Arsense Wenger
Managing director Nathan Wilson said: “We are delighted Arsenal has selected us to be its exclusive and are excited about the opportunities that this partnership brings.
“Arsenal has a vast and loyal fan base, with 42,000 season ticket holders and 165,000 active paying club members, and we look forward to playing our part in ensuring that they fully enjoy the club’s future success.
“We are also thrilled that we will be responsible for providing travel and accommodation for Arsenal’s teams, which are globally recognised as being among the world’s best.“
For Premier League matches, FA Cup, Carling Cup and European group and knockout matches played at home, Thomson Sport will offer an Arsenal at Home package, comprising match tickets together with travel, accommodation and Arsenal-related products including guided tours of Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium and vouchers for the club shop.
When Arsenal has away fixtures in Uefa tournaments, fans will travel with Arsenal Abroad, where Thomson Sport will offer tickets and travel packages to members of the club’s ticket and membership scheme.
Thomson Sport will operate a holiday club called Arsenal Holiday Hub giving fans access to an automatic discount on Thomson and First Choice holidays, as well as unique offers on a range of other specialist activity brands such as Crystal Ski, Sunsail, Exodus and The Adventure Company.
Vinai Venkatesham, head of global partnerships at Arsenal, said: “Providing a high-quality travel service to our players and fans is vitally important to both Arsenal’s success on the pitch and the fantastic support the players receive from the stands.
“As such we are delighted to welcome Thomson Sport into our family of commercial partners, bringing with them best-in-class experience from their work across numerous sports and international sporting tournaments.”