UK’s Alpine Guru acquired by Swiss travel agency
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Leo Trippi AG, a multi award-winning Swiss travel agency specialising in luxury chalet and villa rentals, has announced the acquisition of UK-based luxury accommodation specialist Alpine Guru Ltd for an undisclosed fee.
The deal sees the two brands of Alpine Guru Ltd, Villa Guru and Alpine Guru, join Leo Trippi to create a specialist group of travel companies with a worldwide portfolio of more than 2,000 luxury summer and winter vacation properties.
Following the acquisition, both the Villa Guru and Alpine Guru brands will continue to operate as part of the Leo Trippi Group and Alpine Guru Ltd founders Oliver Corkhill and Anthony Cullen will be joining Leo Trippi as shareholders and directors. They will also join Leo Trippi’s newly formed leadership team, working across the group’s three brands.
The acquisition is a key milestone in Leo Trippi’s growth strategy, having actively explored means of gaining greater market share in its core ski market and strengthening its senior management team through acquisition over the past 12 months. This follows Leo Trippi’s acquisition of First Class Holidays in 2014 which bolstered its market share within the luxury villa rental market.
All staff of Alpine Guru Ltd and Leo Trippi have been retained and Alpine Guru and Villa Guru will continue to run from their existing office in Cirencester, Gloucestershire. The Leo Trippi Group headquarters will remain in Switzerland, with representative offices in the exclusive ski resorts of St Moritz, Verbier and Zermatt, as well as a support office in South Africa.
Commenting on the deal, Auret van Zyl, co-founder and chairman of the Leo Trippi Group, said: “Alpine Guru Ltd is an ideal fit for Leo Trippi. Over the last few years, Alpine Guru Ltd has established a stronghold in the UK’s luxury chalet and villa rental market, enjoying significant growth year-on-year since launching in the UK market in 2011. With two strong brands, Alpine Guru and Villa Guru, and an impressive complementary portfolio of luxury properties worldwide, Alpine Guru Ltd offered us a unique opportunity to invest into the UK market and strengthen our positions within both the ski and villa rental markets – something we’re delighted about. In terms of future plans, we plan to integrate the businesses and use this as a springboard for organic and inorganic growth, continuing to develop our positions as market leaders for chalet and villa rentals globally.”
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