Travel Seen acquires 'hidden gem' agency with £12 million turnover
Emma DooneyThe social-led business has invested in Manchester travel agency eShores after being wowed by its team and products.
Travel Seen has acquired a majority stake in a Manchester-based luxury travel company, marking the fourth addition to its fast-growing portfolio of partners.
The social-led travel business, which was set up by industry veteran Jen Atkinson in 2021, will be working directly with eShores to help increase the brand’s profile, commercial relationships and overall profits.
Travel Seen’s latest acquisition follows a series of investments in late 2023 The addition of eShores, which contributes around £12 million in turnover, now raises the group’s total transactional value (TTV) to approximately £20 million, marking a significant shift in momentum for the company.
Speaking exclusively to TTG Luxury, Atkinson revealed she was “thrilled” by the venture before sharing what inspired her to join forces with the Rochdale-based agency.
“Any business that grows at scale after the pandemic, you have to take your hat off to,” the former ITC boss said. “A lot of eShores’ business is built on repeat customers, and the business growth has almost doubled in five years through a combination of its core of super-experienced employees and newer recruits who’ve been loyal to the business.”
Atkinson added that she was also impressed by the communal spirit of the agency – which employs around 20 people – something she said can be hard to find in such a competitive sector.
“In travel, people are being poached left, right and centre, but this team is like a little family,” she said. “It reminded me of all the best parts of my time at ITC.”
“Any business that grows at scale after the pandemic, you have to take your hat off to”
eShores’ expertise in luxury multi-centre holidays with a bespoke service, was also another motivating factor to invest. “Their passion really shines through,” she added.
“This gives us real scale, and through that scale, we want to start developing preferred partner relationships with suppliers such as hotels and airlines. We’re potentially going to look to open up to the trade too. For example, eShores can be an operator for Travel Directors [part of Aquilium Travel].
“There’s all sorts of opportunities for improving commercial relationships and selling to a wider market. eShores is a hidden gem tucked away in Rochdale, and yet, they’re one of the biggest partners within TTNG [The Travel Network Group]. They’ve quietly toiled their business. There’s loads of tour operators you’ve heard of that are not doing nearly close to £11 million. We want to help with building their brand awareness through social media, generate leads, and introduce them to a wider network of customers.”
eShores’ co-founders Gavin Lapidus and Nadine Brown will continue to lead the agency after the deal, maintaining a substantial equity stake to ensure continuity for their loyal customers.
“I am super proud of the journey and growth of eShores to where it is today, this investment represents an exciting new chapter in the continued growth of the business,” Lapidus said.
Atkinson added that Travel Seen’s investment in Vedere – a luxury sports travel provider founded by TTG 30 Under 30 alumnus Alex Catton in 2023 – had already reaped results, with the company poised to exceed its year one targets, having focused on referrals and curating bespoke experiences for high net-worth clients since its inception.
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