Barceló buys 49.5% of Ávoris from Globalia

26-10-22

Barceló is finalising the purchase from Globalia of the 49.5% of Ávoris that it did not control, which will give it the entire share capital of the company, the result of the merger of the two groups' travel agencies a year and a half ago.

Ávoris Corporación Empresarial, resulting from the merger of the travel agency divisions of Barceló and Globalia, received a €320 million bailout in March 2021, financed through the Solvency Support Fund for Strategic Companies of the State Industrial Ownership Corporation (SEPI).

The 100% purchase transaction, reported by Hosteltur, comes after changes in the management structure: in September Ávoris relieved Miguel Ángel Sánchez - former CEO of Globalia - as CEO and granted executive powers to the president, Vicente Fenollar, a man of the Barceló house.

At the same time, Ávoris appointed Juan Carlos González - in the group since 2013 and until then head of the distribution division - as new CEO, who became directly responsible for all businesses and brands, including the areas of tour operating, distribution and transport.

In addition, at the beginning of October, Ávoris appointed two new general managers: Javier Castillo, in turoperation, with responsibility for all the brands in this business area, and Juan Miguel Morales, in the retail area, which includes both the holiday and corporate business (work and business travel).

The merger made it possible to create one of the two largest groups in the sector in Spain, together with the result of the integration of Viajes El Corte Inglés (Veci) and Logitravel.

The group has 1,500 points of sale and more than 40 specialised brands operating in five areas: retail, wholesale, airline, incoming services and gift boxes.

Some of the companies integrated in Ávoris are the agencies Halcón Viajes, Viajes Ecuador and B the travel brand, as well as the tour operators Travelplan, Catai, Special Tours, Quelonea and Jolidey; the airlines Evelop and Orbest (Iberojet); the bed banks Marsol, Welcomebeds and Rhodasol; and the incoming services Welcome Incoming Services and Turavia.