Hays Travel chair Dame Irene Hays has revealed the company might consider buying a second online travel agency (OTA), following this summer’s acquisition of Cruise.co.uk parent Victoria Travel Group.
Hays, who addressed Clia’s Cruise Forum this week, said Hays Travel had learned “an enormous amount” since acquiring Cruise.co.uk.
Asked whether the Sunderland-headquartered agency might buy another OTA, she said: “I think it’s a possibility. At the moment we’re still learning, but we’re pretty fast learners.”
Reflecting on the decision to acquire Cruise.co.uk, she said Hays Travel first considered a number of direct-sell online retailers.
“We looked at all the people operating in that space and had a look at the relative benefits of acquiring one or more of those so we could get better at that channel,” she said.
“In my opinion, the best way to learn about a business is to immerse your staff in it and it’s hard to do that unless you’ve got one.”
Since the acquisition of Cruise.co.uk, she said Hays Travel had learned that the OTA is more “sophisticated” in its understanding of the consideration periods for different types of cruise.
She added: “Hopefully they’re learning a little bit from us, but we’ve learned an enormous amount from them.”
The acquisition also meant Hays Travel picked up the Seascanner brand and Victoria Travel Group’s German division Kreuzfahrtberater.de.
She said it had taken six months to build an understanding of the German operation, but she revealed it is performing well.
“I’m very, very, very pleased with the German business,” she said.
