Journey Beyond has completed its acquisition of Kelsian Group’s national tourism portfolio, significantly expanding its presence across some of Australia’s most iconic destinations.
The acquisition brings a collection of 14 tourism businesses into the Journey Beyond portfolio, spanning cruises, accommodation, sightseeing, tours and marine operations across the country.
“These are established tourism businesses with strong connections to their destinations and their communities,” Journey Beyond CEO Chris Tallent said. “We have a lot of respect for what they have built, and our focus now is on supporting our people and continuing to deliver amazing experiences for our guests.”
In Sydney, the portfolio includes Captain Cook Cruises, The Jackson and The Starship Group, which operate a range of cruises and experiences on Sydney Harbour.
For South Australia, the Murray Princess paddle-wheeler joins the company alongside Adelaide Sightseeing. In Western Australia, the portfolio includes Captain Cook Cruises Perth, Swan Valley Tours and Bells Functions. In Queensland, the acquisition adds a significant presence on K’gari (Fraser Island), including Kingfisher Bay Resort, K’gari Beach Resort and K’gari Explorer Tours, as well as Red Cat Adventures and Whitsunday Jetski Tours further north.
Operating under the new brand Island Connections will be SeaLink’s Whitsundays, K’gari, Bruny Island (Tasmania), and in the Northern Territory operations to the Tiwi Islands, Darwin-Mandorah and Groote Eylandt.
The expanded portfolio complements the company’s existing collection of rail journeys, cruises, accommodation and experiences.
The completion of the acquisition comes just roughly a month after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) approved the transaction.
