The relocation of Sunsail offices from Portsmouth is putting almost 100 jobs at risk, according to a local report.
The Tui Travel-owned sailing and watersports operator is preparing to close its Port Solent headquarters on the south coast and move to Surbiton, where companies in its group are based, from March 2014.
Just under 100 people are employed at the sailing holidays specialist and, although some have already agreed to move with the business, the majority will lose their jobs, the Portsmouth News reported
One employee facing redundancy, who asked not to be named, told the newspaper: “It’s a sad time for everyone working in the Portsmouth office and bad news for Port Solent.
“Sunsail’s UK operations have been based at Port Solent for over 20 years and will be missed when the office closes and moves to Surbiton. There are a lot of people working here who will be looking for jobs at a time where there isn’t an awful lot about.’
The firm was founded in 1974, and remains the largest sailing and watersports holiday company in the market.
The recruitment page on the Sunsail website says: “Our customers’ experience begins with the UK team based in our modern offices in Port Solent, Hampshire. Centrally located within the heart of the sailing industry, our HQ offers stunning views which will provide you with plenty of inspiration whatever your role.”
A Tui spokeswoman said the decision had been made to move Sunsail after the lease on the Port Solent premises came up for renewal and was not due to the economy.
She said: “We are in the process of consulting with our staff on a one-to-one basis. A number of staff have already decided they will come to the new office. It is quite a distance for them to go, so we are helping them in that process. Obviously, we don’t want to lose people.”
She added: “Joining the operations in Surbiton will allow Sunsail customers to benefit from many of the initiatives already implemented to the other brands in the Surbiton office including electronic information packs, e-tickets, and in-resort updates through Twitter and Facebook.”