The market for buying and selling travel companies is firming up and “buyers are more confident in their purchases than in the past four years,” says Bob Sweeney.
Mr. Sweeney is president of the Roswell, GA.-based Innovative Travel Acquisitions Inc., which recently reported the sale of six travel companies.
They included Navigant International acquiring the Portland, OR-based Passage International Travel, a $14 million volume corporate agency.
Other deals included Industry veteran Doug Knight acquiring The Travel Desk, a $9 million volume agency in Greenwich, CT.
Most in demand to buy: cruise and dynamic online package companies, answers Mr Morris.
“Also ‘host’ agencies, service bureau operations and specialty tour operations remain hot listings,” he said.
Least in demand are brick and mortar small retailers.
Mr Morris said mid-sized companies are priced at about three times the owner’s takeout price, while large companies have a ratio of four times the owner’s takeout.
In the past few years, Innovative has sold 470 travel companies. The company only handles travel businesses.
Report by David Wilkening
