NEW owners of Kuoni’s tour-operating businesses can continue operating with the name, which carries a legacy of more than 100 years, confirmed Kuoni Group’s spokesperson Peter Brun when responding to queries from TTG Asia-ITB Berlin Daily.
Said Brun: “The main brand ‘Kuoni’ remains with the mother company Kuoni Group as we continue to operate with that name, for example, Kuoni Destination Management and of course Kuoni Group (itself). But potential buyers of the tour operating businesses can license the brand Kuoni from Kuoni Group and operate with that name.”
Brun added: “That’s why these businesses are so attractive because you can continue like before with your customers in your B2C interaction.”
Kuoni is seeking buyers through the course of this year for its traditional outbound tour operating businesses in Switzerland, the UK, Benelux, Scandinavia/Finland, Hong Kong/China and India.
Brun explained: “We already have such agreements successfully in place when we sold Kuoni Austria years ago. Same with Kuoni France and Spain two years ago. If you go to Paris you will find beautiful Kuoni retail stores with the same logo as we have in the UK, Switzerland and in Asia. For the specialisted brands like Voyage Jules Verne you mentioned, they normally go with the sale to new owners.”
Voyage Jules Verne is a brand under Kuoni UK, along with Carrier, Kirker, CV Villas and Journeys of Distinction. Aside from established brands, suitors are also buying its 50-year track record, a digital presence and 35 Kuoni-branded shops.
Asked who the potential buyers are at press time, Brun said: “We don’t speculate about any potential buyers. But we are convinced that our outbound tour operating unit with its valued brands can be further developed by new owners.”
To some, however, the announcement was a double-edged sword, as it was akin to Kuoni admitting prospects were better for B2B hotel and land wholesaling, destination management services and visa facilitation than tour operating.
Read the full story in TTG Asia-ITB Berlin Daily 2015
