Travel firms make it into Top Track 250 list
Travelodge, Associated British Ports and Southall Travel have all made it into a list of the top 20 of the UK’s 250 best-performing mid-market growth companies.
Travelodge comes in highest of all travel companies, at number 10 in the list, which is compiled by Fast Track and published in the Sunday Times.
The hotel chain reported a 13% increase in sales to £559.6 million, with a profit of £62.9 million, up 108%.
In total, 20 travel-related companies have made it into the 12th annual Top Track 250 league table, which ranks Britain’s private mid-market growth companies by latest sales. Listings were compiled using figures for financial years ending on or after December 31 2014.
Associated British Ports, which includes the Southampton cruise port, is 12th on the list, with profits of £281.2 million – the largest in the league table – representing a 52% margin.
Southall Travel is at number 17, with sales of £490.9 million, up 17%. Profit is up 19%, at £21.3 million.
Five other travel companies made it into the top 50.
At number 29, Parkdean Resorts, formed last year by the merger of Parkdean Holidays and Park Resorts, reported sales of £400.7 million, with a profit of £106.6 million, up 16%.
At 41 is Lotus Group, which includes DialAFlight and golf specialist Supertravel. The group reported sales of £331.2m, with a profit of £20.5 million, up 32%.
Harrogate-based Principal Hotels is at 42, with sales of £328.3 million and profits of £68.9 million, while Air Charter Service, which specialises in private jet, commercial airliner and cargo aircraft charters, is at number 45, with sales of £315.8 million.
At number 49 is Hays Travel, which boosted sales by 21% to £360m in 2015, with profits more than doubling to £6.3 million.
Three other travel companies made it into the top 100: Jac Travel at 56, with sales up 74% to £288.9 million; corporate travel market Redfern Travel at number 69 and Holiday Extras at number 73, with a 65% upturn in profits last year, to £6.6 million, on sales of £247.2 million.
The others making up the list were: QHotels, at number 115, which saw a 69% jump in profits to £33.2 million, on sales of £205.5 million and Arora Holdings, the airport hotel company, which saw sales almost double to £170.5 million, at number 154.
Travel Counsellors, 162nd on the list, recorded a 22% increase in sales, to £166.4 million while Audley Travel, at number 178, saw sales up 14% to £151.7 million.
Edinburgh Airport, at number 187, made a profit of £45 million and Riviera Travel the UK’s largest escorted tours provider and second largest provider of river cruises, is at number 222 with a 92% jump in profits, to £11.3 million.
At number 240, Skyscanner made a profit of £12.6 million; Trainline, at number 245, made a profit of £21.4 million while London City Airport made a profit of £9.4 million and is at number 248.
Finally, Great Rail Journeys is listed among the Ones to Recognise – the 10 rising companies to watch for the future.
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026