Simpson Travel is planning to add villas and small hotels in Spain and Portugal to its portfolio after changing hands.
The independent operator, which was acquired by Risk Capital Partners earlier this year, is also planning to add more properties in existing destinations. It is currently in Corsica, France, Greece, Italy, Majorca and Turkey.
Speaking at travel accountant Xeinadin’s Leaders in Travel Summit, Luke Johnson, founder of Risk Capital Partners (RCP), said: “We are going to move into Portugal and Spain, mainly with villas, and we want to add more in Italy and France.”
Following RCP’s acquisition of the business, former Hotelplan UK CEO Paul Carter was appointed as Chairman and Operations Director Ed Pyke became Managing Director.
Founder Graham Simpson remains as an advisor to the Board while his sons Mathew and Daniel and daughter Hannah continue as Product Director, Commercial Director and Head of Trade Sales, while Helen Grace has remained as Director of Marketing and Communications. “You want high energy people running a business,” said Luke. “We have great people running this business.”
As for future plans for Simpson, Luke said: “Give us a year or so of owning it and then I can relax. In travel, you always have to expect the unexpected, but one of the things I like about travel is that you can see the trends.”
He said Simpson will benefit from the current trend in the over 50s spending their discretionary income on travel. “I don’t see that ending anytime soon,” he added.
RCP’s other investments include Neilson, in 2013, which it sold for more than five times its purchase price, in 2018, and Cruise.co.uk, which it exited after three years in 2016.