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Kirker Holidays up for sale
Kirker Holidays is being put up for sale by its equity firm owners ECI Partners.
The upmarket short break operator was founded in 1986 by Christopher and Angy Kirker and was sold to ECI three years ago for around £15 million.
Industry observers believe the company could be a good fit for First Choice or Kuoni, but others believe it could attract interest from other private equity firms.
Kirker sells holidays to 50 European cities and over 100 rural hotels, and has recently expanded into long-haul destinations including New York, Morocco and South Africa’s Cape Province
ECI is the majority shareholder but the tour operator’s present management team owns a combined 25% share.
One of the minority shareholders, sales director Ted Wake, confirmed an approach has been made.
“We’re a successful business and pretty high profile in the industry and if we didn’t get an approach every now and then I would be surprised,” he said.
“An approach has been made and inevitably ECI has spoken to its advisors, but that is all.
“Kirker Holidays is an independent company that has a reputation for working closely with independent agents and the company will remain fiercely loyal to independent agents.”
ECI is also believed to be selling online hotel booking company LateRooms.com, but reports have not been confirmed at this stage.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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