Scenic Group has acquired Mayflower Tours, whose founders
John and Mary Stachnik will retire.
The Stachniks founded Mayflower Tours as a domestic tour
operation in 1979. The company expanded to offer international tours in the
late 1980s. Mayflower eventually created a group travel department, which grew
to be the foundation of the company's business.
Mayflower will continue to run as a separate entity, Mayflower
Cruise & Tours, and will continue to be based in Downers Grove, Ill., just
outside of Chicago. It will be led by current Mayflower president Nish Patel.
Australian company Scenic Group started as a tour operator
in 1986, and added river cruises to its portfolio in 2008. That was followed by
the debut of its four-star river cruise line Emerald Waterways in 2013. The
company is also launching two luxury yachts, the Scenic Eclipse this summer and
a sister ship in 2020.
The acquisition gives Mayflower greater access to Scenic's
river and ocean itineraries on both the Scenic and Emerald Waterways brands. It
also gives Scenic and Emerald Waterways access to Mayflower's land-based tours
that can be combined with Scenic's cruises.
"We are always looking for synergies that produce
greater opportunities for our guests," stated Glen Moroney, founder and
chairman of Scenic Group. "We have worked with Mayflower Tours for several
years and have always been incredibly impressed with the level of service and
offerings that John and Mary Stachnik have offered their guests. So, when the
opportunity came about due to their wish to retire, it was an easy decision."
"It's time to appreciate the fruits of our labor. We
want to thank everyone in the travel industry and most importantly our personal
and business families plus the entire staff at Mayflower and last, but not
least, the biggest thank you is to our travelers," the Stachniks said in a
joint statement.