Robust figures for holiday company as it reaps rewards of investments
Leeds-based holiday specialist, Caledonian Leisure, has recorded an annual turnover of over £55m for 2023, up 40% from the previous year’s £40m.
It says investment in new travel centres, hotel partnerships and IT infrastructure has laid the foundation for further growth.
The company, which launched in June 2021, trades under the Caledonian Travel and UKBreakaways brands and operates short breaks and holidays in the UK.
It now employs over 100 members of staff and notes that this summer it will be welcoming its one millionth customer.
Managing director, Graham Rogers, said: “We are pleased to share another year of strong financial results for 2023 and have ambitious plans to build on this going forward as we continue to develop our product portfolio, infrastructure and commercial partnerships.
“The key to our success is putting our customers at the heart of our strategy and it is particularly satisfying to see the positive feedback we receive from our customers, with many focusing on the exceptional value of our breaks and the customer service they receive from our team.”
Earlier this year, the company strengthened Caledonian Travel’s presence in Scotland with the acquisition of Glasgow-based operator Tartan Travel and revealed new departure points in Edinburgh and the East of Scotland.
Further expansion of its network of regional Travel Centres has been a priority with new centres in high footfall central locations in Leeds and Newcastle taking the total number of travel centres in key locations to seven.
The business has also moved into the hotel sector with the launch of The Caledonian Collection, a range of Caledonian branded hotels in some of its best-selling UK holiday resorts, following the investor-led acquisition of the Claymore Hotel in Arrochar, Torbay in Torquay and Liberty’s in Blackpool.
Caledonian Travel has continued to expand its product portfolio across the UK, Ireland & Europe. It says event packages to sport events including the British F1 Grand Prix, The Grand National & Cheltenham Festival are enjoying “unprecedented” demand.
Additionally, the UKBreakaways brand, which specialises in hotel breaks, has seen expansion of its programme of entertainment experiences.
Commercial director Martin Lock said: “Sustaining a steady rate of growth across our brands is great news and we are encouraged by recent research which shows over 50% of our customers intend to travel more with us over the next 12 months.
“Gaining customer loyalty is essential in the travel industry, and our network of agents play a key role in delivering our award-winning service and experience to customers.”
Finance director David McDonald added: “The business is in a very robust position at the moment, and we’re confident the investments we have made this year will further accelerate our growth.
“We’re very excited for what the next 12 months has in store.”
