Hotelplan to be Engaged in Mountain Skis
The competition of Switzerland’s biggest tourist holdings, Kuoni and Hotelplan, has extended to Russia. Hotelplan has recently bought out Ascent Travel operator that is focused on the mountain ski resorts. Kuoni acquired UTE Megapolus Group about four months ago.
Hotelplan has become the majority co-owner of Ascent Travel, says the official web of Hotelplan without specifying either the size of the stake or the deal budget. Today’s management of Ascent Travel will retain control over the company. Its general director Boris Burykin refused to discuss the deal, but one of his deputies confirmed it.
Under Ascent Travel estimate, it covers roughly 20 percent of Russia’s mountain ski tours. The Swiss company is already the owner of Britain’s Inghams Travel mountain ski operator, and coordinated actions of Inghams and Ascent are expected to generate certain synergy.
Hotelplan is the eighth tourist holding in Europe. It is the number two in Switzerland, where it loses only to Kuoni. Ascent Travel was set up in 1992; its owners are top managers Boris Burykin, Evgeny Sudbin, Andrei Zabolotnykh and Fedor Chernyshev. The company’s business is the mountain ski resorts, while Croatia and Italy are its main summer directions.
In advancing to Russia, Hotelplan trails the key rival, Kuoni. In summer, Kuoni bought out 80 percent in Russia’s UTE Megapolus Group, having paid between $5 million and $8 million for it.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Nov. 06, 2007
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