Specialist cruise agency sold
Specialist cruise agency Ideal Cruising has been soldto lowcostbeds.com for an undisclosed sum.
The deal for the agency, founded four years ago by managing director Tony Youster, is expected to be completed before Christmas and is subject to shareholder approval, final legal negotiations and due diligence.
Camberley-based Ideal Cruising will be a wholly owned subsidiary and will be run on an arms length basis, with its current management team remaining in place to further grow its revenues and profits.
Ideal’s total transaction value is expected to exceed £28 million and the company is profitable.
Lowcostbeds.com CEO Paul Evans said: “We are delighted to have reached agreement with the management team at Ideal to bring them in to the lowcost group.
“Ideal is a very successful business, consistently growing revenues and profits since entering the cruise industry four years ago.
“We plan to invest in the management team, technology, staff and marketing to further grow Ideal’s cruise business.
“The Ideal trading cycle complements the seasonality of lowcostbeds.com’s core beach and city holidays and together we will create a stronger group.â€
Youster added: “Ideal has grown rapidly over the last four years and we see huge opportunities in the growing cruise sector to further add value to the cruise operators’ distribution models.â€
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments
Overseas travelers to the United States declined by 2.5% in 2025