Luxury tour operator Scott Dunn has acquired Singapore-based tailor-made travel specialist Country Holidays as it pursues a global expansion plan.
Over the next 12 months, Country Holidays will be rebranded as Scott Dunn and Country Holidays’ founder, Theng Hwee, will become Scott Dunn’s new CEO – Asia, reporting to group CEO Simon Russell. The existing Scott Dunn Singapore and Country Holidays teams will also be merged and share a common headquarters in Singapore.
With the deal, Scott Dunn will have a global team of over 300 staff offering 24-hour service, as well as an expected turnover of S$290 million (US$219.5 million) in 2018.
The London-based luxury travel company had kicked off its global expansion plan in April 2016 with the acquisition of Aardvark Safaris’ US operation, based in San Diego. In September 2016, it opened a sales office in Singapore to service the growing Asian market.
Commenting on the acquisition, Simon Russell, CEO of Scott Dunn, said: “Following our success in North America, we are turning our attention to Asia. Acquiring an operator as established… as Country Holidays step-changes our access to a market with a huge demand for luxury travel experiences.”
Country Holidays is based in Singapore with sales offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and Dubai. The company offers tailor-made trips to over 100 destinations worldwide including to Iran, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Mongolia and Madagascar.
