UK-based Gray Dawes Group acquires Melbourne-based Verve Travel and Leisure

UK-based Gray Dawes Group acquires Melbourne-based Verve Travel and Leisure

UK-based Gray Dawes Group has acquired the Australian-based travel management business, Verve Travel And Leisure, including both the business travel division, Verve Travel Management, and the leisure retail office of Bay Travel and Cruise.

Verve is a family-owned business set up in 2001 with offices in Melbourne and Brisbane. It is managed by Kathryn and Kurt Sari and is a $35million turnover company with a full IATA license.

Verve has a strategic alliance with the ASX listed company, Helloworld Travel and Kathryn Sari is a member of the Helloworld Business Travel Council since 2018.

The acquisition of Verve Travel takes family-owned Gray Dawes Group’s turnover to over of £600m ($1.17bn) and pushes employee numbers to over 550.

Suzanne Horner

Commenting on the announcement, Suzanne Horner, Gray Dawes Group CEO, said, “With Verve strengthening our existing Australian operation, this represents the next step in our global growth plan and closes the circle on our unique service delivery strategy. Out of hours, for example, is simply not a thing for Gray Dawes; we are now ALWAYS ON – there for our clients, where they need us, when they need us. And with a shared technology platform across the entire Gray Dawes operation, our clients will enjoy a seamless personal service as we follow the sun around the globe from the UK and Europe to America, to Australia and back to Europe.”

She went on to say that the firm is now more profitable than it was before the pandemic.

“The challenges the industry has faced over the past few years are firmly behind us, as our revenue now exceeds all pre-pandemic levels and continues to break profitability records. Gray Dawes is fantastically placed, both financially and from a skills perspective, to really drive our strategy, while developing all parts of the business and new ventures.”

Kathryn Sari, joint managing director of Verve Travel, commented: “I am very excited by the opportunity to work with Suzanne and her team, and thrilled for Verve Travel’s staff to be part of such an exciting and award-winning travel management company.

Kurt Sari, added: “There are so many synergies across the businesses which makes this a very natural fit. By being part of the Gray Dawes Group, we will be able to leverage the strengths of both companies to deliver enhanced global opportunities to our staff and clients alike.”

Feature image: Kathryn and Kurt Sari

 

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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