Post by Humberside on Oct 4, 2010 22:35:16 GMT
From ttglive.com
The owner of the first UK tour operator to the Cape Verde islands is looking to sell his company.
Cape Verde Travel has been offering packages to the islands off the west coast of Africa since 1993 – 15 years before the major operators such as Thomson moved into the destination.
Owner Ron Hughes is now looking to sell the business and said the islands had a “bright future” thanks to new hotels.
“I’m coming up to 65 in the next year and I’m looking for a buyer to continue the business and take ideas forward,” said Hughes, who also runs a high street travel agency, Eastgate Travel in Hornsea, Yorkshire.
“There has been a slowdown in development due to the recession but once we come out of it, Cape Verde will boom again.”
Hughes said his holidays to Cape Verde were different from those sold by Thomson, which began flying to the islands from the UK in 2008.
“We are bespoke. We work with local hotel owners, and local people arrange our tours. Thomson offers all-inclusive chains such as Riu and Iberostar where people don’t leave the resorts.”
Hughes said he would continue running Cape Verde Travel if he does not find a suitable buyer.
He added that he had not cut prices despite the arrival of Europe’s biggest tour operator: “You can’t cut the prices because of the high euro plus the cost of bonding and overheads.”
Hughes said he would like to see another airline start UK services to Cape Verde.
“It would be great if somebody like Monarch or Jet2 would begin flights to provide competition,” he said.
Cape Verde Travel has been offering packages to the islands off the west coast of Africa since 1993 – 15 years before the major operators such as Thomson moved into the destination.
Owner Ron Hughes is now looking to sell the business and said the islands had a “bright future” thanks to new hotels.
“I’m coming up to 65 in the next year and I’m looking for a buyer to continue the business and take ideas forward,” said Hughes, who also runs a high street travel agency, Eastgate Travel in Hornsea, Yorkshire.
“There has been a slowdown in development due to the recession but once we come out of it, Cape Verde will boom again.”
Hughes said his holidays to Cape Verde were different from those sold by Thomson, which began flying to the islands from the UK in 2008.
“We are bespoke. We work with local hotel owners, and local people arrange our tours. Thomson offers all-inclusive chains such as Riu and Iberostar where people don’t leave the resorts.”
Hughes said he would continue running Cape Verde Travel if he does not find a suitable buyer.
He added that he had not cut prices despite the arrival of Europe’s biggest tour operator: “You can’t cut the prices because of the high euro plus the cost of bonding and overheads.”
Hughes said he would like to see another airline start UK services to Cape Verde.
“It would be great if somebody like Monarch or Jet2 would begin flights to provide competition,” he said.