SIMPLY Travel has bought soft-adventure specialist Headwater Holidays for £4.8m and expects to make further acquisitions in the summer.
Simply Travel managing director Graham Simpson said: “We are looking for companies with the same ethos – upmarket, independent specialists.”
He denied that the company, based in Chiswick, London, was making acquisitions in preparation for a sell-off.
“Like any independent company we have had approaches but we are happy in what we are doing,” he said.
Headwater, founded by Richard and Christine Bass, will stay at its offices in Northwich, Cheshire.
Richard Bass will become non-executive director while his wife will retire. All 18 staff will stay on, including directors Catherine Crone and Tina James, who run the business.
Simpson said his company would expand Headwater’s programme in 2000 into destinations like Greece, Turkey, Corsica, Spain and Portugal where Simply is already strong.
Simply plans to raise Headwater’s capacity to 15,000-18,000 in the next three years.