DER Touristik UK has added travel specialist Solmar Villas to its portfolio and plans to invest in the business to make it the market leader in the UK.

Solmar Villas joins Kuoni and specialist brands Carrier, CV Villas, Kirker, Jules Verne and Journey Latin America in the DER Touristik UK group and staff have been told the new ownership will bring growth and is likely to lead to extra jobs, DER Touristik said.

Julie Blake, who currently owns the villa specialist, which was set up 30 years ago by her parents, John and Maria Tayler, will remain as Managing Director of Solmar and reporting to DER Touristik UK CEO Francis Torrilla.

Julie said: “We have some ambitious plans and, with the support of the group, I am excited to be part of Solmar’s next steps.”

Francis said: “Solmar Villas has seen phenomenal success with a real drive for growth and quality.

“The acquisition enhances and complements our existing portfolio of independently managed businesses enabling us to drive substantial growth in the villa market.   

“It also means we’ve got a broader range of price-points across our specialist brands so we’re relevant to more customers whilst always focusing on value and quality.

“We can bring investment opportunities to continue to grow Solmar Villa into the market leader villa provider and further develop its range and distribution.”

Solmar’s current programme has over 1,600 private villas with pools in Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Greece, France, Turkey, Italy, Croatia, and the US – 1,000 of which are exclusive.

The specialist is a strong supporter of travel agents and has key partnerships including Jet2 holidays, British Airways and Hays Travel.

As part of the business growth plan, Solmar Villas will be available to book through Kuoni’s 27 UK stores.