Collette to close its UK business
US-based tour operator Collette will close its UK business in April 2020 and it is understood staff are being made redundant.
The escorted tours company, based in Providence, Rhode Island, said it had decided to no longer have a physical presence in the UK in order to focus on expanding its business in the US, Canada and Australia.
The company, which celebrated its 100th anniversary last year, will continue taking bookings in the UK up to April 30, 2020 and all existing bookings will go ahead, it said.
Last year, Collette restructured its UK operations after seeing only single digit growth, whereas in the US and Canada growth was in the double digits.
Its UK team began reporting to global vice presidents in the US. At the time, senior vice president of global business Christian Leibl-Cote said he was confident the new structure would lead to double digit growth in the UK this year.
In the UK, the business was led by head of sales Neil Sehmbhy, head of operations Paul Palmer, marketing manager Wendy Missenden and head of partnership Stephen Mills. It also had a four-strong sales team.
It is understood the UK sales team will leave on Friday, March 8.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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