One of Northern Ireland's best known travel agencies has been bought by the World Travel Centre, a leading long-haul travel agency in Ireland.
McNeill Rigby Travel, which trades as McNeill Worldwide and McNeill Menary Travel and currently employs 22 at its Lisburn Road premises in Belfast, was acquired by the World Travel Centre for an undisclosed sum.
The combined businesses will have s
ales in excess of £55m this year, resulting from a focus on the core growth areas of business and long-haul leisure travel.
Nigel Platt, managing director of McNeill Rigby Travel, said: “This is very positive news for the company and enables us to expand and enhance our travel offering for Northern Ireland’s business and luxury travellers. We are delighted that World Travel Centre saw the potential of our operation here in Belfast. Our highly-experienced team has been at the centre of our growth in recent years and will remain so. The skills present in both companies, combined with continued investment in technology, will position the company for continued growth and success in Northern Ireland and beyond.”
Mr Platt also said the company would particularly benefit from World Travel Centre’s innovative travel booking technology.
Jimmy Lennox, owner of World Travel Centre, said: “We are delighted to welcome the travel professionals of McNeill Worldwide into our company. They have established a highly respected brand name in the Northern Ireland market. We anticipate the synergies generated within the combined companies will provide a solid platform for continued expansion.”
The deal does not affect Ski McNeill, Northern Ireland’s leading ski holiday specialist, which will remain part of Traveldev, which originally acquired McNeill Rigby Travel in August 2006. Incorporating Directski.com and Ski McNeill, Traveldev is one of the fastest growing ski companies in the UK and Ireland.
Anthony Collins, CEO of Traveldev, said: “This was the right move for McNeill Rigby Travel and one which I believe will take the company to new levels.
“Ski McNeill has gone from strength to strength in recent years and we are confident of continued growth as our focus moves entirely to ski travel following this acquisition.”
The full article contains 364 words and appears in News Letter newspaper.
