Ivry-sur-Seine, November 25, 2013 — Transat, one of the world’s largest integrated tour operators, is pleased to announce the merger of its business units Look Voyages, Vacances Transat (France) and Amplitravel, as well as distribution network Euro Charter, retroactive to November 1. All of these entities will now be jointly administered within Transat France, the French holding company belonging to Transat A.T. Inc. The merger was initiated in late 2012, with a view to streamlining financial, administrative and IT procedures among the various business units.
The merger is a legal and administrative operation: the Look Voyages and Vacances Transat brands, along with their respective product lines, will remain the same. Supported by a network of 42 multi-brand travel agencies under the Look Voyages banner, the brands will continue to build on their success, with Look Voyages offering relaxing holidays at its renowned Clubs Lookéa resorts and Vacances Transat (France) organizing tours on five continents. Operations under the Amplitravel brand, which focuses on Tunisia, will now be offered under the Look Voyages banner.
Philippe Bechon, currently Assistant General Manager of Vacances Transat (France) and General Manager of Euro Charter, has been appointed Executive General Manager of Transat France, in charge of operations. Transat France’s operations will now be organized around four key focuses, namely tour operation (trips created by destination experts), distribution (through the Look Voyages travel agency network, as well as websites and call centres), groups (sales of customized trips for groups) and air travel (commercializing Air Transat in France), based on shared general services: legal, financial, human resources, IT, marketing and communications.
“In tourism, the future belongs to organizations that set themselves apart through their efficiency, and we needed to free ourselves from certain administrative tasks that were particularly time-consuming in order to focus on the expectations of French travellers,” explains Patrice Caradec, President and General Manager of Transat France. “The legal merger of our business units, coupled with the reorganization of certain services, all without any negative impact on jobs, enables us to accomplish this.”
This reorganization will also facilitate the introduction of a new business-specific IT tool that will provide the greater flexibility that many French travellers want. For example, this booking tool will offer the “Dynamic Package” feature, which will allow both travel agents and online customers to create and purchase travel packages. “With a cohesive and motivated team, the introduction of a more efficient IT tool in 2014 and the desire to return to growth, Transat France is ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow,” says Mr. Caradec.
With sales of €500 million from its tour operator business, Transat France is one of the largest tour organizers in France. Transat France is a business unit of Transat AT Inc., an integrated international tour operator with more than 60 destination countries and that distributes products in over 50 countries. A holiday travel specialist, Transat operates mainly in Canada and Europe, as well as in the Caribbean, Mexico and the Mediterranean Basin. Montreal-based Transat is also active in air transportation, accommodation, destination services and distribution.