Yorkshire car rental comparison company acquires travel website
EnjoyTravel.com, a car rental comparison company based in West Yorkshire, has acquired Big 7 Travel, a travel website with a majority US audience, for an undisclosed sum.
The deal means EnjoyTravel.com has strengthened its position to connect with new users and bring its booking technology to the North American market.
As a provider of online and mobile travel resources, Big 7 Travel reaches millions of users and covers more than 150 countries in the world.
Big 7 Travel was launched in early 2019 by Niall Harbison and Sarah Clayton-Lea.
Sarah Clayton-Lea and Niall Harbison
Harbison will exit the company; Clayton-Lea will stay on with a minority stake and will continue to manage existing content and marketing teams.
Martin Mansell, CEO of EnjoyTravel.com, will transition to Group CEO and oversee growth and strategy of both companies.
EnjoyTravel.com and Big 7 Travel share the mission of enabling people to easily plan and book their trip within the one platform, from initial destination inspiration to bookable products and experiences.
They aim to take advantage of the travel industry re-emerging in 2021.
Mansell said: “We are delighted with our acquisition of Big 7 Travel. The two businesses will come together and create something really unique.
“Whilst launching new bookable travel products on Big 7 Travel, we now have an absolutely amazing content team and traffic resource to help EnjoyTravel.com develop and launch new travel-related products as well as enter into new markets, with particular focus on North America.
“As we expect the travel industry to start coming back to life early in the New Year, we believe Big 7 Travel will prove to be a magnificent addition to our business and are now set for strong growth in 2021 and beyond.”
Clayton-Lea, founder and head of content of Big 7 Travel, said: “It’s an exciting move for Big 7 Travel and doubles down on our belief as a team that we are creating content that consistently hits the mark.
“While the travel industry has experienced a difficult year, we are confident the return will be massive.
“Together, EnjoyTravel.com and Big 7 Travel are the perfect match to transform the trip planning experience from start to finish.”
