Attraction World has become the exclusive ticket provider for Thomas Cook Group following a decline in business from Thomson agents.
The deal is a major boost for the company, which had to make seven staff redundant in December 2014 after a drop-off in sales when Tui took most of its ticketing operation in-house.
The new partnership with Cook in Europe, which builds on an existing UK relationship, is due to launch in the summer and is expected to increase trade sales from 50% to 75%. The firm also still turns over about £7 million annually with Tui.
Attraction World also acquired leisure brand Day Out With The Kids this month, which is expected to help boost turnover to £100 million by 2018.
The changes contributed to staff numbers rising from 55 to 75 and a new senior management structure being put in place.
Managing director Paul Stobbs has become group chief executive, while former group sales and marketing director Tony Seaman is group chief operating officer.
Former head of marketing Simon Applebaum has become managing director, and Nick Hughes is now sales and marketing director. Former business development manager Nicola Harper has become national account manager and Paul Cripps will continue as group finance director.
The firm will turn over £80 million this year, up from £23 million 10 years ago when Seaman joined the company.
“We’ve doubled the [number of] people we lost 18 months ago, but that’s not to say those roles would have remained,” Seaman said.
“Cooks put out a tender and we won, which is not surprising – we’ve quadrupled their attraction tickets business over the past five or six years,” he said.
“We’ll look for other acquisitions and once we’ve translated into all the Thomas Cook countries we will aim to take on more business outside Cook.”