Travel’s post-pandemic bounceback has underlined how in normal times it is one sector where the demand curve only ever goes one way – up. Time and again, investors have commented on how attractive the industry is, despite low profit margins. So what does 2024 hold for mergers and acquisitions?
Martin Alcock, Travel Trade Consultancy director, advises companies buying and selling, as well as on Atol. “We’re seeing lots of companies positioning for a sales process in 2024,” he tells TTG. “They’re lining up advisors and putting out the feelers.
“It’s all off the back of exceptional results in summer 2023, and the continued momentum going into winter. Operators have a really positive story to tell, backed up by evidence that consumers are ring-fencing and prioritising travel spend.”
He highlights one category of company appealing to buyers: “The deals we’ve worked on in 2023 involved companies with very specialist product niches, with highly defensible market…