Ex-ITC boss takes major stakes in homeworking firm and sports operator
Pippa JacksTravel Seen, the social-led travel business set up by former ITC boss Jen Atkinson in 2021, has acquired a majority stake in Cheshire-based luxury agency Aquilium Travel and also invested in a new sports and lifestyle travel business.
Aquilium Travel was set up in 2017 by Gary Pridmore and David Mayer and operates homeworking brands The Travel Directors and The Travel Managers. Travel Seen intends to generate leads for Aquilium’s agent network through its social brand.
Vedere is a new luxury sports and events operator due to launch next week (27 November), set up by TTG 30 Under 30 alumnus Alex Catton, who previously worked for Atkinson at ITC, where he was head of Spectate for eight years. The two travel businesses will have a combined forecast revenue of around £10 million.
Speaking exclusively to TTG, Atkinson said these first two investments by Travel Seen will be “the first of many more". “Our goal is to work with people who want to run their own business, but perhaps need money to invest in order to grow, or to de-risk themselves personally,” she said.
“These two very different businesses demonstrate the diversity of the investments we’re looking to make; we’re looking to work with people who want to continue doing what they’re best at, and looking to really push and grow,” she added.
Atkinson hinted Travel Seen is already in advanced talks with a third company.
Atkinson confirmed Travel Seen will continue to operate as a luxury travel brand in its own right, using social media to drive bookings online or through its homeworkers, alongside being an operations platform and investment vehicle.
Experts Dom McGregor (co-founder of Social Chain with Steven Bartlett) and Georgina McSolrey have been brought it to lead Travel Seen’s social strategy, with a view to building the “most authentic and engaged travel community in the UK”.
“The opportunity for building travel brands via social media is huge,” said Atkinson. “Other sectors such as fashion and beauty have been hugely disrupted by social media and we hope to lead the way similarly, in the travel sector.”
Atkinson spent 16 years at luxury operator ITC, and was president from 2019 until her departure in October 2020.
She established Travel Seen in 2021, backed by Liverpool-based Arete Capital, and has this year welcomed Dez Derry, a leading northwest entrepreneur, as a co-founder and investor.
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