Hotelbeds Group plans to acquire Tourico
Holidays and merge the wholesaler with its Bedbank business unit.
Hotelbeds Group operates the Hotelbeds and Bedsonline brands
with inventory in more than 180 countries representing more than 120,000 hotels
and 12,000 activities.
In September, Hotelbeds Group came under the ownership of
Canadian private equity firm Cinven and the Canada Pension Plan Investment
Board. The company is headquartered in Palma, Spain, and has 6,150 employees in
150 offices worldwide.
Tourico Holidays contracts with hotels and attractions among
other suppliers, and distributes product through its host-to-host and website
solutions.
"The proposed deal will enable us to enhance our
footprint, especially in Tourico Holidays' home market of North America, whilst
they will benefit from belonging to Hotelbeds Group's global network,"
stated Joan Vilà, executive chairman of Hotelbeds Group.
Tourico Holidays will continue to operate as an independent
business while a long-term strategy is developed for combining the businesses.
The transaction is subject to customary regulatory and antitrust approvals.