Manchester-based Travel Counsellors has acquired Planisto for an undisclosed sum.
The deal is for the platform and associated IP, plus the Belgium-based team that developed it.
Travel Counsellors CEO, Steve Byrne said that the purchase of the tech platform would “accelerate” its development plans to become an industry leader in the premium travel market.
“We are delighted to have acquired such a highly regarded, award-winning and highly complementary technology platform in Planisto – which has been on our radar for some time – as well as the hugely talented development team behind its success who share our culture and values. This acquisition is perfectly aligned with our culture of delivering unrivalled customer care as well as our strategic focus on developing our technology and offering to drive further growth in the premium-leisure segment of the market,” continued Byrne.
“In addition to strengthening our proprietary tech stack and talent, the deal will significantly accelerate our current technology development roadmap for Phenix, our end-to-end proprietary technology platform. It will further improve our end-customer booking experience whilst also strengthening our position in the Benelux region, where we have a fantastic and growing business and where the Planisto platform is highly regarded amongst the professional travel community.”
It means the company will be able to build “highly complex” travel itineraries and present these “intuitively” to consumers.
“The acquisition aligns perfectly with our growth strategy as we accelerate towards being a £1bn+ transaction value platform in the very near future. We are continuing to invest in our highly scalable proprietary technology and operating model, and we continue to look forward to the future with excitement and confidence,” said Byrne.
Travel Counsellors is backed by Vitruvian Partners and is its second acquisition in less than a year, following Birmingham-based Holidaysplease in March 2023.
