Hays reveals plans for Bath Travel
Hays Travel plans to develop Bath Travel alongside its existing business, managing director John Hays said today.
After snapping up the Bournemouth-based independent for an undisclosed sum, Hays said bringing the two independent businesses together would give them greater commercial clout.
However, Bath Travel will keep its name and the existing management team and retail staff will remain with the company.
Hays Travel has a calls centre and 43 shops, most of which are in the north-east, while Bath Travel has 60 shops in the south and southwest. Hays generates revenue of £540 million a year and Bath generates £100 million.
"Together they will have increased buying power," said John Hays. "We also own a transfer business, a tour operation and a bed bank that we can bring to Bath Travel; this is especially good for our Faraway longhaul business."
He said that Bath Travel’s strength in the cruise sector would be of benefit to the rest of the Hays group.
Hays said that Bath was a profitable business and would show a profit at the end of this year.
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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