Kuoni parent acquires Solmar Villas Juliet Dennis


Kuoni parent Der Touristik UK has acquired Solmar Villas as it expands its portfolio of specialist businesses. The family-run business, founded


almost 30 years ago by John and Maria Tayler, joins Der Touristik UK’s range of specialist brands. As well as Kuoni, these include


Carrier, CV Villas, Kirker, Jules Verne and Journey Latin America, its last acquisition. Solmar will be sold through


Kuoni’s 27 stores and independent travel agencies. Der Touristik aims to turn Solmar


into the market leader in the villa sector. It described the acquisition


as “a good fit” for its business, with Solmar joining existing upmarket villa specialist CV Villas. Solmar features more than 1,600


private villas with pools, 1,000 of which are exclusive, in destinations including Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Greece, France, Turkey, Italy, Croatia and the US. Francis Torrilla, Der Touristik UK


chief executive, said: “Solmar Villas has seen phenomenal success with a real drive for growth and quality. “The acquisition enhances


and complements our existing portfolio of independently managed businesses, enabling us to drive substantial growth in the villa market. “It also means we’ve got a broader range of price points across our


Japan earthquake ‘won’t have big impact on tours’


Samantha Mayling


Specialist operators do not expect the powerful earthquake that hit Japan on New Year’s Day to have much impact on tours in the country. At least 62 people were killed by


the quake, which struck the Noto peninsula in central Japan. The UK Foreign Office issued a


travel alert, warning that aftershocks were a possibility and that transport links had been disrupted. InsideJapan had just over 300


customers in Japan, with 15 in the affected region, but did not expect “any significant impact on travel” for


4 4 JANUARY 2024


them. Its customer support team in Japan contacted clients, who were all said to be “safe and well and continuing with their travels”. “Our team on the ground are


continuing to monitor the situation,” a spokesperson said. Wendy Wu Tours does not


operate tours to the affected region and did not anticipate disruption to forthcoming departures. “Japan is renowned for its


rigorous earthquake preparedness,” a spokesperson added. “The country has stringent


protocols in place and boasts excellent early warning signals.”


1,600 Number of properties featured in Solmar Villas’ portfolio


specialist brands, so we’re relevant to more customers, while always focusing on value and quality. “We can bring investment to


continue to grow Solmar Villas into the market-leading villa provider and further develop its range and distribution.” Solmar is already a strong


supporter of agents and has trade partnerships with Jet2holidays,


British Airways and Hays Travel. Julie Blake, the current owner and


daughter of John and Maria Tayler, remains as managing director. The business will stay in its


Burton-upon-Trent location and staff were told there are plans to expand. Torrilla added: “We have a


positive message to share with our staff, suppliers, agents and customers in that we will protect the business ethos and values which have made it so successful and also invest in Solmar with the ambition to grow it into the largest villa operator out of the UK.” Blake said: “Our strength is the


relationships we have with our villa owners, suppliers, employees and clients, and this will continue to be the driving motivation behind us.”


Tokyo: the city is 190 miles from where the earthquake struck


Riviera Travel said its first Japan


tour of the year is due to depart on February 29. “We will continue to monitor the


situation and the guidance given by the FCDO,” it said in a statement. “For agents looking to sell tours


to Japan, customers are looking to book August onwards.” Newmarket Holidays said its


Japan Unveiled tour starts in late October and is mostly based in Tokyo and the south of the country. Chris Crampton, chair of the


Pacific Asia Travel Association UK chapter, said the affected region is largely rural and attracts few tourists.


“We’ve not had reports from our


member operators and DMCs about pausing travel to Japan,” he said. Tours continue to operate “with


customer safety in mind”, he added, because large parts of Japan are unaffected, with transportation, hotels and attractions open for business as usual. “We encourage agents to


facilitate flexible travel plans this year to support Japan and its tourism industry,” Crampton added. He advised agents to monitor


travel advisories as the situation “can be fast-changing” and to ensure clients have valid insurance.


travelweekly.co.uk


PICTURE: Shutterstock/Savvapanf Photo


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