Richard Hadfield and the team at Journeys à la Carte
Luxury travel company The Avventura Group has completed the acquisition of a long-standing retail travel business for an undisclosed sum.
The deal for Journeys à la Carte, which has traded from offices in Uttoxeter for more than 25 years, adds a business that has won awards including the UK’s Best Travel Agency to the expanding Northamptonshire business.
The Avventura Group, based at Hannington near Wellingborough, already operates Avventura Travels, which launched in 2019 and specialises in tailor-made itineraries for exclusive luxury adventures. Both Avventura Travels and Journeys à la Carte will trade under the holding company The Avventura Group.
Avventura Travels’ chief executive Richard Hadfield said: “We are delighted to be strengthening our travel business with the addition of what is an exceptional retail travel business.
“Journeys à la Carte has a strong reputation for its extensive knowledge, honest and impartial advice and unrivalled expertise and we very much aim to keep it that way. Avventura Travels provides bespoke travel services for clients looking for highly personalised itineraries and our business ethos, and that of Journeys à la Carte, are very similar.”
Journeys à la Carte was founded by Staffordshire businesswoman Margaret May in 1995 and has won major awards, including The UK’s Best Travel Agency with The Guardian and The Observer. Staff at Journeys à la Carte will remain working at the agency under Avventura Group’s ownership.
“The team has been very supportive of our acquisition and it is good to be able to give them employment, certainty in these challenging times,” said Mr Hadfield. “We also have very exciting plans to strengthen and grow the business.”
The UK travel industry has been one of the most impacted sectors of the pandemic but Mr Hadfield believes that its prospects remain strong, especially following the decision by the UK government to relax testing requirements.
“There is a huge pent-up demand for travel and holiday sales have already picked up on the back of the government’s announcement,” Mr Hadfield said. Travel industry research shows that UK holidaymakers are eager to travel again. “We fully intend to make sure that we are ready at Journeys à la Carte to take advantage of the comeback.”
