BREAKING NEWS: Opodo pays £1.2m for Quest Travel

Sunday, 14 Jan, 2005 0

Online firm Opodo has bought long haul tour operator Quest Travel for £1.2 million.

The purchase of Quest, which carries 30,000 customers a year mainly to Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific and Asia, was made from the United Co-op Travel Group. Quest Travel will continue to be run as a stand-alone business.

Quest Travel is the first step in an acquisition strategy by Opodo as it pursues a goal of becoming one of the top three European online travel agencies, the company said.

The deal brings long haul expertise to Opodo’s strength in short-haul. Opodo believes there are “major opportunities” to further develop long-haul travel expertise in countries not covered by Quest.

The online company’s chief executive Simon Vincent said: “Opodo is already a leader in European online travel and is particularly strong in flight sales and the short haul market.

“Quest Travel will complement our existing portfolio of products and enable us to provide our customers with a unique range of holiday offers to key long haul destinations.”

Mr Vincent, previously with Thomas Cook tour operations, added: “With the acquisition of Quest Travel we are obtaining a well-respected brand and a team of highly professional travel experts, who we look forward to working with in building on their excellent achievements to date.”

Mike Greenacre, general manager of United Co-op Travel Group said: “Within our business, Quest was unusual in being a tour operator rather than an additional distribution channel.

“Having reviewed our plans for the future, we concluded that the best way for Quest to develop its potential was as part of a larger tour operator business which was already well-placed in the market and Opodo fits that bill perfectly.”

Quest managing director Dave Simmons added: “Opodo has access to significant numbers of customers who want the type of product that Quest has to offer. This is an excellent opportunity for Quest Travel to achieve rapid growth amongst both our core destinations and potentially new markets”.

Report by Phil Davies

below social share icons

Phil Davies

Hilton is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 22 world-class brands comprising nearly 7,300 properties and more than 1.1 million rooms, in...

Queensland – where it’s rude not to stare Here in Queensland, there’s plenty to do. But there’s even more to...

SOUTH AUSTRALIA. FOR THOSE WHO WANT A LITTLE MORE. South Australia. It’s a beautiful place. A place for the restless,...

ECOMMPAY is an international payment service provider and direct bank card acquirer, engineering bespoke payment solutions for clients worldwide. Our...

In 2019, Buffalo Tours and Olympus Tours joined the Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) family and formed Discova. With the...

If you’re thinking of cruising, there’s a very good chance you’re considering a Carnival cruise. Growing since our founding in...

Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand’s leading hotel operator. Its 93 properties span all major Thai destinations plus the Maldives,...

The Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau (DMCVB) is the only organization that promotes metro Detroit regionally, nationally and...

The Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games is responsible for planning, organising, financing and delivering the...

Palladium Hotel Group is a renowned Spanish hotel chain that first emerged towards the end of the 1960s. Currently present...

Traveltek is the world-leading provider of online solutions for the travel trade, from consumer-facing websites to call centre applications. We...

AXA Assistance specializes in best-in-class cost containment, health and travel services. Over 60 years of experience combined with a US and...

Global Hotel Alliance brings together a unique collection of independent hospitality brands for GHA DISCOVERY, a multi-brand loyalty programme. GHA...