Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours has taken a major step forward in growing its portfolio, announcing the purchase of US-Based Mayflower Tours.
This follows a spate of recent acquisitions in the travel industry, with major players like Helloworld scooping Magellan.
According to Scenic, Mayflower will continue to run as a separate entity, named Mayflower Cruise & Tours, operating with the same executive team and same focus.
The purchase will offer Mayflower greater access to river and ocean itineraries on both Scenic and sister brand, Emerald Waterways, while Scenic and Emerald Waterways will have a litany of great land-based tours that can be joined with their cruise offerings.
Scenic Founder and Chairman Glen Moroney said the company was always on the lookout for synergies that produced greater opportunities for its guests.
“We have worked with Mayflower Tours for several years and have always been incredibly impressed with the level of service and offerings that John and Mary Stachnik (Mayflower Tours founder/owners) have offered their guests.
“So, when the opportunity came about due to their wish to retire, it was an easy decision.”
Mayflower Cruises & Tours will continue to be based in Downers Grove, just outside of Chicago, and lead by current Mayflower president, Nish Patel.
“The Scenic Group and Mayflower – this is a perfect match,” Patel said.
“Mayflower’s fastest growing product segment is the river cruises and having access to Scenic’s excellent quality and vast inventory will offer substantial growth.
“This is a very exciting time at Mayflower Cruises & Tours. We look forward to continuing to provide the same high-quality tours and services,” Patel added.
Mayflower Tours has followed a similar path to Scenic.
The company was founded in the United States by John and Mary Stachnik in 1979 as a domestic tour operator, and expanded throughout the world in the late 1980s to offer hundreds of deluxe tours in 52 countries.
