Dubai-based dnata travel, part of the Emirates Group, has acquired a majority stake in Imagine Cruising, a UK-based holiday firm. Apart from its UK location, the company also has offices in Cape Town in South Africa. So does dnata, and the deal is still subject to regulatory approval in that company. The acquisition is dnata’s latest in the UK. It has previously acquired Travel Republic, Gold Medal and Stella Travel Services.
Casey Hurford, product manager for letsgo2, has joined Kenwood Travel as product manager. Also joining Kenwood is Pete Brudenell, former partnership marketing manager at British Airways Holidays.
Thomas Cook has appointed former Tui UK managing director Chris Mottershead as business development director. Mottershead, who has been working for Tui in Russia for the last four years, started at Thomas Cook’s Peterborough headquarters on April 1.
Andrew Cooper, CEO of the Owens Cooper consulting firm,, told a recent seminar held by McIntyre Hudson and Barclays travel, that he foresees a good year for travel in 2015, but warned the more risk-averse firms that hedged currency and fuel could suffer. The former Thomas Cook director of government and external affairs added that, although he was in a generally positive frame of mind because the number of people travelling overseas is rising, there are a number of indicators that are giving contradictory messages. Although oil prices have fallen, he said, the strong U.S. dollar is offsetting any advantages for those that buy their oil in dollars. The weak Euro is good news for the sector, however, but not for the likes of the main bedbanks that have bought their accommodation in advance.
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Peter Clements, CEO, TotalStay Group and Terry Williamson, CEO, JacTravel B2B hotel accommodation wholesaler JAC Travel has acquired accommodation provider TotalStay Group for an undisclosed sum. The transaction was supported by Vitruvian Partners, the existing institutional shareholder of JAC Travel. TotalStay founder Peter Clements and the management team of TotalStay Group will retain a “significant” minority interest in the enlarged group.
