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KE Adventure Travel buys self-guided walking tours specialist
KE Adventure Travel has bought self-guided walking operator Mickledore Travel from founders Rick and Sonja Cooper.
Established in 2004 and based in the Lake District town of Keswick, close to KE, Mickledore offers 30 walking and two cycling self-guided holidays in the UK. It employs 12 staff and had revenues of £2.68 million this year.
The Coopers will continue to work with the Mickledore team on a consultancy basis, to ensure continued growth and development, said KE. They will also work closely with Ashley Toft, KE’s CEO, who will oversee both businesses. All 12 staff will stay in their current roles.
Mickledore becomes the third UK company in two years to join the Voyageurs du Monde group, following the acquisitions of Original Travel in January 2017 and KE Adventure Travel in July 2017.
This continues the strategy for the group to grow and develop in the UK and other English-speaking markets. The Voyageurs du Monde group had a global turnover of €429 million in 2017.
Toft said: ”This is an exciting opportunity for both businesses. Mickledore’s focus on the UK as a destination fills a gap in KE’s product range, and their expertise in operating self-guided holidays comes at a perfect time as KE launches its first range of self-guided walking and cycling holidays in Europe.
"There are great opportunities to grow both businesses in North America, as well as an obvious opportunity for Mickledore to expand into the French market. I look forward to working with the team at Mickledore to continue the great work they have done to build such a strong business in this fast growing sector.”
Cooper added: "We are thrilled to have found such a natural home for Mickledore and its staff. Not only are the offices a five-minute walk apart, but the whole working culture and ethos of KE and the wider Voyageurs du Monde group, feels very similar to that of Mickledore. We welcome the many opportunities that becoming part of a larger group will give us.”
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Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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