Specialist online travel firm The Adventure People has secured a seven figure investment from former backers of Butlin’s owner Bourne Leisure.
The unspecified cash injection has been made by the Harris Family, largest shareholders in Bourne Leisure Group prior to selling a majority stake to private equity giant Blackstone last year.
Former Bourne Leisure director Paul Harris is joining the board of the adventure travel company as part of the deal.
The Adventure People was established by former Travel Republic and Love Holidays commercial director Chris Roche prior to the pandemic in autumn 2018.
He said: “Like all travel businesses, we’ve found the past two years incredibly challenging and we have had to manage our cost base and cash flow very carefully.
“With our heads down, we focused on our technology and customer offering.
“Despite the difficult market conditions, the business continued to grow throughout the pandemic. We have now been fortunate to secure significant backing which will allow us to pursue our goal of being the global market leader for adventure and experience-based holidays.”
Roche added: “I am delighted to welcome Paul Harris to the board. Paul has a wealth of experience in travel and leisure from Bourne Leisure and Hollywood Bowl among others, as well as valuable experience in corporate finance.
“We look forward to continuing our growth through 2022 and onwards.”
The company the process of doubling the size of its technology team as well as hiring for roles in sales, marketing and commercial.
The Adventure People offers 10,000 adventures and tours from leading and local operators around the world and acquired an Atol in 2020.
It provides financial protection via a trust account, meaning no customer money is used until they return from their trip.