Sunsail, Le Boat and The Moorings change hands

Rental catamaran The Moorings

Travelopia, the parent company of Sunsail, Le Boat and The Moorings, is sold by TUI Group to the investor KKR. The company announces development objectives in Asia and on the net.

Expected sale

The TUI Group's decision to sell its subsidiary Travelopia was announced in May 2016. The structure, based in the United Kingdom, brought together all the specialised tourism activities of the German tour operator TUI Group, from polar travel to private jet travel, including the rental of sailing boats and motor boats for pleasure craft, river and sea. Travelopia has 800,000 customers per year in 70 destinations, through 53 brands, including Sunsail, Le Boat and The Moorings, for a turnover of 1.171 billion euros over the last financial year. It was an ancillary activity for the tourism giant, which wishes to refocus on its core business for the general public.

Acquisition by an investor

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P, (KKR), acquired Travelopia for ?381 million. This investment fund is already present in the leisure and travel sector, through shares in PortAventura, Get Your Guide, Trainline, Go-Jek or Apple Leisure.

Expanding the market

Edouard Pillot, Managing Director of KKR Europe sets his ambitions:"We look forward to working with Will Waggott and his team to help Travelopia seize future opportunities, including exploiting the potential of online distribution and expanding its geographic coverage, particularly in China

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