Ensemble Travel Group chief executive David Harris has lamented the “difficult” decision to shut down the company’s operations in Australia and New Zealand.
The company announced over the weekend it would close its regional office in Sydney, impacting three employees including Ensemble’s general manager for Australia and New Zealand, Katy Muyt.
Ensemble works with 15 different travel agencies across Australia, including TravelManagers and CT Partners.
In a statement to Travel Weekly, Harris said the decision to close its trans-Tasman operations was actually being considered prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“While the travel industry has certainly been impacted by this situation, Ensemble Travel Group has been a solid and successful business in North America for over 50 years and remains so,” he said.
“This decision is specific to the operations in Australia and New Zealand, which was part of a limited expansion only since 2015.
“As our goal is always to operate a profitable model for our members, we regretfully had to make the difficult business decision to discontinue our operations in this market.
Harris said this was due in large part to not being able to develop and maintain the kind of critical mass needed to sustain this effort.
“It is also in no way related to Ensemble’s primary operations in Canada or the United States,” he added.
“While we are disappointed to be leaving ANZ, we want to convey our sincere appreciation to the team who worked passionately to build the business halfway around the world, and of course to the 44 member agencies who had engaged with our Ensemble programs.”
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