What The Travel Corporation Sale Means for Tour Operators

18.07.2024 - 11:54 / skift.com / Dennis Schaal / Diamond Resorts

Expect more private equity deals in the tour operator and travel agency sectors.

That was the view of a source familiar with The Travel Corporation’s operations in the wake of news it would be acquired by Apollo Global Management. The source added that multiple private equity firms had also expressed interest in the Travel Corporation.

“And one of the themes all of these PE guys are talking about is the next generation of tour operators, which of course, are digital natives and connected from a data perspective,” the source said, who predicted that there will be plenty of private equity deals to come in these areas.

Travel agencies with a luxury clientele are attractive targets post-Covid, the source added.

The Travel Corporation is a family owned business and one factor driving the sale was that there was no heir apparent, the source said.

“We know globally that some of the old school tour operators have seen growth slow, but by no means was the business [TTC] in a terrible place. The business was in a strong place,” the source said.

The source didn’t comment on the value of the deal but wouldn’t characterize it as a “fire sale.”

The Tollman family opted to retain ownership of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection, which generated a big chunk of the group’s profits, but well under 50%, the source added.

“I imagine one of the things Apollo is thinking is in line with what all the other VC firms are doing,” the source said. “Can you take these traditional businesses, put in a better technology stack, which both potentially reduces the cost of customer acquisition, and increases operating margin. And then all of a sudden, you take a business that has OK margins, and turn it into a business that has pretty good margins.”

The source predicted that Apollo might consolidate some of The Travel Corporation brands — it owns 18 brands — and/or merge them with other Apollo assets. Over the years, Apollo has owned or invested in the Venetian Las Vegas, Great Wolf Resorts, American Express Global Business Travel, Oceania Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Caesars Entertainment, Diamond Resorts, Expedia and Atlas Air, among other holdings.

Brett Tollman, CEO of The Travel Corporation, didn’t respond to requests for comment about the deal.

But another CEO of a major family owned business in travel, Jeff Tolkin, the co-CEO of World Travel Holdings, one of the largest cruise and vacation sellers in the U.S., spoke to Skift Wednesday about the implications of the Apollo-The Travel Corporation deal.

“As for the future of family owned businesses, I don’t think this portends anything but a bright future because this deal clearly evidences a successful conclusion for the Tollman assets sold,” Tolkin said.

Tolkin, who said he