Flight Centre Travel Group (FLT) has strengthened its North America presence by agreeing to acquire leading Quebec City-based travel company Les Voyages Laurier du Vallon (LDV).
The acquisition will significantly strengthen FLT’s presence in Quebec, which is Canada’s second-largest province and a market where FLT was previously under-represented, partly as a result of challenges posed by complying with local guidelines relating to the use of the French language.
FLT managing director Graham Turner said the acquisition would fast-track the company’s growth in another key global location. “Quebec is a large and attractive market for FLT, but our ability to expand and grow market share in this province has, until now, been constrained,” he said. “By working with LDV, we will be able to leverage the business’s local expertise, experience, and linguistic capabilities to grow our presence in Canada’s second-largest market, which is a major corporate hub and home to a large and active leisure travel population.
“There are also opportunities to capitalize on other synergies and to help grow LDV by drawing on FLT’s:
- Corporate product suite
- Proven marketing expertise
- Global supplier relationships; and
- Rapidly expanding the range of unique airfares, packages and in-destination offerings, which can be distributed through the LDV network.”
Flight Centre’s President in Canada John Beauvais added that the acquisition is an integral part of the Canadian growth strategy. “We are thrilled to be working with LDV, an established company in a market where we see enormous potential.”
