Travel Counsellors, the largest and fastest-growing technology platform in the UK for travel entrepreneurs, has made a strategic acquisition of the award-winning Planisto travel technology platform along with its key development team. The integration of the Planisto platform will aid Travel Counsellors’ technology development plans and strengthen their offering in the premium travel market. The acquisition is perfectly aligned with Travel Counsellors’ culture of delivering exceptional customer care and their strategic goal of developing technology to increase growth in the premium-leisure segment of the market.
The Planisto platform, which EURAM, a Belgian-headquartered B2B travel technology company developed over several years, will add “market-leading” functionality that enables Travel Counsellors to build highly complex travel itineraries and present these intuitively to consumers. The strategic acquisition will also add the Planisto platform’s associated intellectual property and development team to Travel Counsellors’ community, further strengthening their senior technology talent and team in the Benelux region.
The deal marks Vitruvian Partners-supported Travel Counsellors’ second acquisition in its 30-year history, following the successful acquisition of Birmingham-based Holidaysplease in March 2023. The acquisition demonstrates the company’s growth and strategic progress over the recent periods, highlighted by their record financial performance during the financial year ended 31 October 2023, delivering annual bookings of £933m, an increase of 23% on the prior year.
Steve Byrne, the CEO of Travel Counsellors, stated that the acquisition will significantly accelerate their current technology development roadmap and improve their end-customer booking experience while strengthening their position in the Benelux region. He added that the acquisition is perfectly aligned with their goal of offering personalised and outstanding travel experiences and becoming the most powerful platform for travel entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.
In conclusion, Travel Counsellors’ strategic acquisition of Planisto’s technology platform and development team, which has been highly regarded amongst the professional travel community, demonstrates their commitment to become a leading platform in the premium travel market.
