A well-established Staffordshire travel agency is under new ownership after being taken over by a luxury tour operator.
Journeys a la Carte, in Uttoxeter, has been acquired by Northamptonshire-based Avventura Group – which also owns Avventura Travels – for an undisclosed sum.
Local businesswoman Margaret May – who started Journeys a la Carte in 1995 – decided to sell the business so she can retire.
The deal will see Journey a la Carte's existing team retained and transferred to the Avventura Group.
Margaret said: "Journeys a la Carte has been a huge part of my life for over 25 years, and I am enormously proud of its success.
"Success due to the amazing, incredible Journeys team, our wonderful clients, the tour operators we work with, along with AITO and TTA who have always been there to help steer the way.
"I am now retiring, delighted in the knowledge that Richard will carry Journeys and the team forward to a happy, secure future."
Avventura Group – which was launched in 2019 – offers tailor-made itineraries for exclusive, luxury adventures.
CEO Richard Hadfield said: "Journeys a la Carte is an exceptional travel agency with a strong reputation for its extensive knowledge, honest and impartial advice and unrivalled expertise and we very much aim to keep it that way.
"We are delighted that Margaret has agreed to sell the business to us and that she will continue to be available to us with her local knowledge and expertise to achieve a seamless ownership transition. We wish her a happy and well-earned retirement.”
"The team has been very supportive of our acquisition, and it's good to be able to give them employment certainty in these challenging times.
"We have very exciting plans to strengthen and grow the business through making investments in IT and marketing."
Richard added: "There is a huge pent-up demand for travel and holiday sales have already picked up on the back of the Government's announcement that testing rules have been relaxed for fully vaccinated travellers.
"Research by major travel industry bodies shows that UK consumers can't wait to travel again, and we fully intend to make sure that we are ready at Journeys a la Carte to take advantage of the come-back."
