Attraction World Group, provider of theme park and attraction tickets, has been acquired by a new consortium. It marks a new chapter for AWG, promising to usher in innovation and growth. The Montana World Investments consortium comprises New York-based private equity firm Highmore Group, and other investors from the Netherlands and US. It will see current shareholder Ten Oceans exit the business. Highmore has more than $2.5 billion in assets under management. The consortium plans to leverage Attraction World Group's existing network and expertise of the attractions market to introduce new offerings. The strategy changes it ‘from being UK-focused to truly global now’ says Justin Mahoney, group chief operating officer: “This investment is going to be game-changing for our retail partners.” It will focus on enhancing the customer experience, making it easier to book tickets. Attraction World Group's executive team will stay on and become shareholders in Montana World. It includes Mahoney and chief executive Olly Nicholls.

  Attraction World Group, a leading global provider of attraction tickets and experiences, is delighted to announce its new partnership with Ibiza Rocks, the home of the pool party on the ‘White Island’.   The partnership will enable Attraction World Group to expand its offering of unique, exclusive experiences to its customers worldwide. The Ibiza Rocks pool party is a must-see event in Ibiza, and this partnership will make it more accessible to Attraction World Group's customers.   Martyn Sansom, Head of Supply at Attraction World “This is a big partnership that I’m incredibly proud to announce. Working with Ibiza Rocks is a great opportunity to provide one-of-a-kind events on the island of Ibiza. The pool party at Ibiza Rocks is THE pool party to be at. Their live acts for this summer are some of the hottest acts around right now. I’m excited to grow this partnership over the years to come!” Chris Medd, Sales & Operational Development Director of Ibiza Rocks “We are delighted to announce this strategic partnership between Ibiza Rocks & Attraction World.  We have long wanted to provide agents with access to book our events for their Ibiza bound customers, and this partnership does exactly that.  Having fully refurbished our event venue for 2023 and hosting daily pool parties featuring some of the finest and freshest artists in the world right now, including Becky Hill, Joel Corry, Craig David and many more, it’s a great time for us to be partnering with such a trusted and well-respected provider of event tickets.”   Kelly Hayre, Head of Retail at Attraction World “I’m very excited that we are working with Ibiza Rocks. Yet another amazing partner to add to our expanding portfolio. We're thrilled to be able to provide this product to our retail partners, booking exclusively through Attraction World. I know this will be a much sought after ticket for our agents’ customers travelling to Ibiza this summer.”   “Attraction World Group and Ibiza Rocks partnership agreement comes at a time when the travel industry is recovering from the effects of the pandemic. Both companies are committed to providing customers with safe, high-quality experiences that meet the highest standards of hygiene and safety.”

  Attraction World Group (AWG), a leading provider of attraction tickets and experiences, is pleased to announce the launch of its new menopause policy aimed at supporting all those effected by menopause.   Vanessa Matthews, the head of operations, who oversaw the policy's creation, said, "Attraction World's menopause policy will provide our staff with the support they require when dealing with a variety of symptoms that the menopause can bring, such as restlessness, anxiety, depression, and low self-confidence. Now that we have a support system in place, we believe we can speak honestly about how we feel, whether in a one-on-one conversation or through scheduling flexibility."   The policy outlines the organisation's commitment to becoming an inclusive and people-first employer by offering a straightforward approach to supporting staff experiencing menopausal symptoms. The menopause awareness team will provide guidance and support to all staff members, including managers, on how to identify and manage menopausal symptoms, as well as provide practical advice on coping strategies.   Olly Nicholls, CEO of Attraction World Group, stated, "We are always looking at ways to support our team members as we build a new culture and surround that with core policies that allow for an engaged and spirited team. Having spoken with industry colleagues who had led the way with highlighting the effects of menopause, it was critical that we moved quickly on this policy. I would also like to say thank you to Lindsey Garvey-Jones at Holiday Extras/Travel Talks Menopause and Dominique Sidley of Merlin Entertainments for raising the profile of the menopause across the industry and making people take notice."   The menopause policy is the latest initiative from AWG, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to creating a supportive and inclusive work environment that values diversity and promotes well-being.

 

Group CEO Olly Nicholls eyes expansion into Australia and Asia with industry expert joining the ranks of the AWG senior team

  Attraction World Group, a leading provider of attraction tickets and experiences worldwide, is pleased to announce that Mark Rizzuto has joined the company as its new Business Development Director – New Markets based in Sydney. In this role, Rizzuto will identify and pursue new growth opportunities in Australia and Asia for the company and work with the commercial team to expand its global reach.   Rizzuto is a highly respected figure in the travel industry, with over two decades of experience in senior management positions. He was the CEO of Livn, a global distribution system for tours and activities, and a model he successfully grew into one of the world's leading B2B providers. Before Livn, he held senior roles at Qantas, Travelport, Interglobe, Helloworld, and Virgin Australia, where he headed their global distribution and e-commerce models.   "We are delighted to welcome Mark to the AWG team," said Olly Nicholls, Group CEO of Attraction World Group. "His extensive travel industry experience and proven track record of building successful businesses will be invaluable as we expand our offering and reach new markets. I have known Mark for several years and have always loved his outlook, industry knowledge and how aligned we are with the experiences industry's future. With our Commercial Director Isabel Beckerman, Mark will be pivotal in opening new markets for AWG and bringing new opportunities that we never thought possible."   Rizzuto commented: “Olly and the Attraction World team have proven the value of their model across the markets they operate in today. As the travel sector continues to recover and grow, AWG’s easily availed partner products provide resellers with exciting content that enhances service delivery and unlocks meaningful value for experience-hungry end-consumers.   This is a ‘can do’ company that has strong people values under an open umbrella of diversity, inclusion, and opportunity. I am genuinely excited to be joining AWG at a time when it is expanding its horizons across new geographies and new distribution verticals that allow for me to add value via experience gained through living and working across the Australian and Asian markets.”   Beckerman commented:   “Over the course of the next few months, there will be further announcements regarding new partnerships we have recently secured outside of our traditional UK market with several of the industry's leading travel brands as we continue to solve in collaboration with our partners at PrioTicket on a global basis the challenges that Airlines, Cruise Lines, Tour Operators, and municipalities faces in putting the right experience in front of the customer at the right time. We have the best solution in the market today, and it will propel AWG into the number one global position in 2023 as the B2B marketplace,” said Beckermann.   Attraction World Group is a leading provider of attraction tickets and experiences, offering over 20,000 products in more than 50 countries. The company partners with travel agents, tour operators, airlines, and other travel companies to distribute its products globally. With Rizzuto on board, the company is well-positioned to expand its reach further and take advantage of new growth opportunities.

 

“The award-winning company, Attraction World Group (AWG) and experience  specialists, Buyagift are delighted to announce their new partnership.”

  Buyagift is the UK’s leading gifting experience provider which offers over 4,500 unique experience gifts, that customers can purchase for their often-unsuspecting friends, relatives, and colleagues. With over 500,000 gifts purchased by customers each year, Buyagift’s vision perfectly aligns with Attraction World Group, which is focused on connecting people to the world's most unforgettable experiences. AWG currently work directly with over 20,000 tours, activities, and attractions in more than 30 countries, offering one of the largest experience collections.   This partnership will see Attraction World Group’s customers able to access some of Buyagift’s significant catalogue of experiences.   Martyn Sansom, Head of Supply at Attraction World Group said, “This is an exciting opportunity for AWG to provide 1000s of gifting experiences to our network of agents and customers. The gifting experience is a great fit for our portfolio of attractions, and one that our customers will love. We are really looking forward to developing this relationship with Buyagift and taking it from strength to strength.”   Kelly Hayre, Head of Trade Sales at Attraction World Group said, “With trade partners across UK and Ireland, we’re so excited to be able to launch such an incredible range of gift experiences, which we know they’re going to love. Perfect for Christmas, Valentine’s Day and many other key dates and occasions throughout the year, this is a fantastic opportunity for all to take advantage of.  We’re thrilled to be able to add yet another great range of products to our ever-growing trade portfolio.”   Jag Banwait, Retail and Corporate Sales Director at Buyagift said, “We are delighted to be partnering with Attraction World Group to open up even more opportunities for customers to find the perfect experience through our vast inventory. At Buyagift, we’re committed to delivering happiness to our customers by providing the best service and range of experiences across the UK, and this partnership will see us being able to provide our experiences to new audiences through Attraction World’s extensive range of customers and clients.

  Attraction World Group (AWG) are proud to announce Isabel Beckermann as the new Commercial Director, and welcome Martyn Samson as Head of Product for the UK / EMEA in a team restructure.   Attraction World Group are thrilled to announce that the business has undergone some exciting structural changes. The restructure of the commercial team means there is scope for a recruitment drive into other markets, with new roles being created outside of the UK, in the United States and Dubai.   Isabel Beckermann, who was previously Attraction World Group’s Head of Client Success will be taking on a new Commercial Director role within the business, to oversee Attraction World Group’s Product Supply and Distribution Strategy. The move aims to strengthen the links between supply and distribution, two critical parts of the business, leading to better alignment when it comes to collaborating with Product Supply and Distribution partners.   Commercial Director, Isabel Beckermann commented.   “Having a closer alignment between supply and distribution is a great step towards ensuring we develop a common strategy that will fulfil service to all our partners. It’s been a great learning journey over the past 2 months running the distribution department and with supply having been my home for the past 15 years, I am excited that AWG decided to make this move. We have two amazing Heads of Product running supply and a strong team across both departments and with us looking for more talent to come in, it will be a whirlwind but very exciting ride for the next 12 months and beyond”.   Moving from PrioTicket as part of a campaign to bring in top talent from across the industry, Martyn Samson will be joining Attraction World Group as Head of Product for the UK / EMEA. Having previously been the Supply Director for 365Tickets, he will be working alongside Phillipa Standley who moves into a new role as Head of Theme Parks and USA Partnerships. This move will enable Attraction World Group to power ahead with future contracting efforts, further expanding the product offerings and allowing the business to push forward as the UK’s number one experience provider.   Martyn Samson commented; “I am very excited about the opportunity to join Attraction World in the role of Head of Product for the UK / EMEA. Having known the Attraction World team for a long time, I feel it is an exciting time to join and be part of the positive steps they are taking as a company. After spending many years in the travel industry, I am looking forward to reconnecting with old colleagues as well as meeting new ones in this role”.   Following a successful 12 months post-acquisition of the Attraction World Group (AWG), CEO Oliver Nicholls and COO Justin Mahoney have been investing heavily into the company vision, culture, and talent onboarding. The company has been trading in line with 2019 results for the first time since the global pandemic and are on course to beat 2019 levels as demand ramps up and technology improvements improves efficiencies.   CEO Olly Nicholls commented; “Bringing Isabel to AWG two months ago was a real coup for us. Her experience as a senior executive for some of the world's leading travel brands, Booking.com, Klook and Flight Centre has added huge value so far and both Justin and I felt the time was right to make these changes. Martyn joining Isabel and Phillipa significantly strengthens our Commercial team. Martyn is someone I have known and respected for ten years and is very well respected amongst our supply network. His experience of working with our partners at PrioTicket is only going to strengthen that relationship. Given the demand for our solutions and the growth we are witnessing we aren’t stopping here. We have a number of highly respected industry professionals joining the business over the next two months and have a number of roles available for the right candidates. We are creating something really special and are casting our net far and wide to attract the best talent in the industry.

  Birmingham/Oxford/Amsterdam:   Attraction World Group are proud to announce and welcome Kristina Shieh as the newest member to the client success team. Kristina has recently returned from maternity leave and previously looked after European Supply for Klook in a product executive and later a product manager capacity.   Kristina joins Izzy as the second member of the client success department formed in April and will be working in this role temporarily until the end of 2022. She will be responsible for leading several strategic partnerships as well as supporting the onboarding of AW’s distribution partners and setting up implementation processes.   Head of Client Success of Attraction World Group Isabel Beckermann commented; “Having worked with Kristina in the past at Klook, I was always impressed by her passion and her ability of thinking one step ahead. She has great supplier relationships, and her supply experience will be very valuable to our distribution partners. I am very excited to be working again with a former colleague of mine who I am sure will make a great impact for the time she will be with us”   Kristina commented; After a wonderful year at home with my daughter, I am excited to have the opportunity to join the AWG team and work with Izzy again. I look forward to connecting with partners, old and new, and building strong relationships with our distribution partners. I'm also very much looking forward to working with the rest of the AWG team!

Ten Oceans Private Equity, has acquired the UK’s leading pass technology provider Open Pass for an undisclosed sum. The deal follows the acquisition of Attraction World Group in June, and an earlier investment in leading Dutch travel tech company Prioticket, a strategic partner of Attraction World.   Speaking following the acquisition, Managing Director and Founder of Open Pass Andrew Twigg commented; “the acquisition of Open Pass by Ten Oceans allows myself and the team to work with the other group companies to scale our business and connect with a new customer base. The UK remains very important for us though, and we are working with a number of UK family marketing platforms on increasing their reach, whilst delivering attractions with proven technology. Today is an incredibly exciting occasion for us all and we are looking forward to the future as part of Ten Oceans.”   Whilst Andrew will carry on as the Managing Director, he will also join the Attraction World Group board as Chief Technology Officer, alongside Chief Operations Officer Justin Mahoney, and Group Chief Executive Officer Olly Nicholls.   Olly commented: “the acquisition of Open Pass by our parent Ten Oceans allows us to further evolve as a business, and to expand our distribution reach even further. Whilst we are building an industry leading tech stack with our partners at Prioticket, this acquisition allows us to also concentrate on the “in-destination” purchase of experiences, and we have some really exciting announcements to make in the coming weeks regarding new UK partnerships focusing on the ever-growing family market which we know very well. Having known Andrew for nearly 10 years, I am delighted to welcome him and his team to the group, and Andrew to our leadership team at Attraction World Group.”   The acquisition will allow Open Pass to globalise its supply and distribution partnerships, and work on further joint synergies with Prioticket and Attraction World.   “We see huge opportunities in the industry as we witness the bounce back of the global travel sector, and with this acquisition we saw a unique opportunity to deliver experiences to a different type of customer that we are traditionally used to. We aren’t stopping here though; we have a number of other opportunities we are currently looking at which we feel add value to our companies as we look to strengthen further” said Nicholls. “The acquisition of Open Pass fits into Ten Ocean’s strategy to deliver amazing experiences across the globe from the palm of your hand. By acquiring Open Pass, we can further nurture key strategic relationships with Disney, Universal, Merlin Entertainments, Hornblower Group, City Sightseeing and others.”   About Open Pass   Open Pass is an online system for selling and redeeming attraction tickets, tours and multi-attraction passes   Designed specifically for the attraction industry, Open Pass connects attractions with distribution partners, from local hotels to global OTAs, and ultimately to the widest possible range of buyers. The platform seamlessly delivers increased sales whilst offering customers choice and value for money. Open Pass is the leading destination pass provider in the UK with a range of multi-attraction passes well-established across the country. Our successful model builds long-lasting partnerships between attractions, both large and small, DMO’s, hotels and VIC’s. It provides a complete destination offer that appeals to visitors and is flexible, simple to set up and easy to use.     About Attraction World Group Attraction World Group is the UK’s leading experience ecosystem. Since its creation, Attraction World has enabled over 8 million customers to pre-book worldwide attractions, confident in the knowledge that they are supported by an incomparable customer service team.   With its team of attractions experts and industry-leading technology, Attraction World is uniquely positioned to help its travel partners grow their sales of attraction tickets. We offer an unrivalled range of theme parks, sightseeing tours, theatre shows, experience days and other activities in over 30 countries around the world.  

Birmingham-based Attraction World has inked a partnership with University College Birmingham to offer a new internship programme this summer. Attraction World will provide internships in a range of sectors, including sales, marketing, graphic design and social media management. Throughout their summer work experience, internship students will develop a variety of soft skills, including communication skills, personal effectiveness, presentation skills, creative problem solving and influencing skills. It also offers the opportunity to explore career options. Olly Nicholls, new Chief Executive at Attraction World, said: "As a Birmingham-based business we are proud to partner with the UCB this summer. I believe that investing in grass roots growth is important at any organisation." "With on-the-job experience now becoming a crucial factor for employers, I believe that gaining this work experience will give students a competitive advantage over their peers." Founded in 1996, Attraction World is a major player in the UK experiences market with over five million customers pre-booking attractions, excursions and experiences in more than 30 countries around the world. Its product portfolio includes theme parks, sightseeing tours, theatre shows and experience days. Kathryn Hayat, Senior Lecturer at UCB, said: "We are very excited to promote the student internship programme at Attraction World this summer. We know how important it is for students to gain industry experience as they enter the graduate jobs market."