XL Leisure Group’s newly acquired Greece and Turkey specialist Kosmar will enter the Western Med for the first time in 2007, offering product in Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands.
Group managing director of tour operating Geoff Medhurst said the expansion has been possible because of XLLG’s acquisition earlier this month of a second company, accommodation-only provider Medlifehotels.com.
“Medlifehotels provides the bank of beds to enable us to expand,” he explained.
He acknowledged the company had taken a gamble with the expansion because the Kosmar name is well known in the trade for being a niche Eastern Med operator.
However, he said positive feedback from agents persuaded him he was doing the right thing.
“Our one fear was that Kosmar would lose its reputation as a specialist. But we asked agents and they encouraged us to go ahead.”
A second-edition 2007 Kosmar brochure containing the Western Med product will be issued next month.
By Lisa James
