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Kuoni completely rules out First Choice purchase
Kuoni has publicly ruled out a purchase of First Choice’s mainstream business.
Speaking at the launch of its long-haul report, Kuoni managing director Sue Biggs said: “We are not buying First Choice, definitely not. Whether it will be Mytravel, Thomas Cook or Virgin I have no idea, but which ever channel it goes down, we are quite relaxed and quite happy about the outcome as we work closely with all of them.
“As far as further consolidation in the industry is concerned, yes, I think this is going to take place among the big four.”
Speculation linking First Choice with Swiss-owned Kuoni first arose last summer and resurfaced at the end of the year.
Since then Mytravel, Thomas Cook and Virgin have also been linked to First Choice, which is believed to be looking to sell off its mainstream business.
Kuoni purchased two upmarket specialist tour operators, Kirker Holidays and Journeys of Distinction, last year and Biggs said the company was looking to acquire further similar businesses.
“These companies will not be ‘Kuoni-ised,” she said.
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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