Our History
Corporate Information/Our History
Holidaybreak was founded by Alan Goulding in 1973 as Eurocamp Travel Limited, a family run business offering camping holidays in Brittany, France. The business was sold in 1981 to London based retail group, Combined English Stores.
In the 1980s, mobile-homes and destinations outside France were added to its product range and distribution was extended to the Netherlands and Germany. The Company expanded throughout the decade with a number of strategic acquisitions, including the 1986 takeover of Sunsites.
Following a management buy out in 1988, Eurocamp plc was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1991. Over the next few years, the marketing reach of the Eurocamp brand was extended into several new territories, including Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark and Poland.
In the mid-1990s, the Group expanded through several acquisitions within the holiday sector, including the 1995 merger with Superbreak. In 1998, the Company’s name changed to Holidaybreak.
In 2000, the Group formed its Adventure Travel Division with the purchase of Explore Worldwide and Regaldive. It also acquired the internet hotel portal, Hotelnet, and the short break tour operating business, Rainbow Holidays which were integrated into the Hotel Breaks Division. Following the 2002 acquisition of EuroSites, which was the closest direct competitor to Eurocamp and Keycamp, Holidaybreak’s Camping Division became one of the largest providers of pre-sited mobile-home and camping holidays in Europe.
In 2002 and 2003, the Group acquired the UK short break tour operating businesses Crystal Britain, London Travel Service and Bridge Britain & Ireland, which were integrated into the Hotel Breaks Division.
In order to further expand its European interests, Holidaybreak acquired the web-based hotel breaks business, Business Reservation Centre Holland Holding BV, based in the Netherlands in 2004, the Dutch soft adventure company Djoser BV in 2005 and the two German specialist tour operators, carpe diem Sprachreisen and TravelWorks in 2006.
In December 2006, Holidaybreak’s subsidiary, Superbreak acquired the tour operating business, Highlife, which gave access to additional London capacity and enabled Superbreak to benefit from demand for the Tutankhamun and First Emperor exhibitions from December 2007 onwards.
In January 2007, Holidaybreak’s subsidiary, Superbreak, acquired the London theatre ticket agent West End Theatre Bookings. In June of the same year, Holidaybreak acquired PGL, the UK’s leading school trips organiser, for total consideration (including costs) of £97.6m and formed its fourth operating division, the Education Division.
The Group’s Education Division was further expanded with the acquisition of NST, a leading provider of group travel to schools and colleges throughout the UK, for total consideration (including costs) of £39.6m in October 2007 and the acquisition of Hertford Travel Group Limited, the holding company of educational tour operator European Study Tours, for total consideration (including costs) of £4.8m in June 2008.
In the 1980s, mobile-homes and destinations outside France were added to its product range and distribution was extended to the Netherlands and Germany. The Company expanded throughout the decade with a number of strategic acquisitions, including the 1986 takeover of Sunsites.
Following a management buy out in 1988, Eurocamp plc was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1991. Over the next few years, the marketing reach of the Eurocamp brand was extended into several new territories, including Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark and Poland.
In the mid-1990s, the Group expanded through several acquisitions within the holiday sector, including the 1995 merger with Superbreak. In 1998, the Company’s name changed to Holidaybreak.
In 2000, the Group formed its Adventure Travel Division with the purchase of Explore Worldwide and Regaldive. It also acquired the internet hotel portal, Hotelnet, and the short break tour operating business, Rainbow Holidays which were integrated into the Hotel Breaks Division. Following the 2002 acquisition of EuroSites, which was the closest direct competitor to Eurocamp and Keycamp, Holidaybreak’s Camping Division became one of the largest providers of pre-sited mobile-home and camping holidays in Europe.
In 2002 and 2003, the Group acquired the UK short break tour operating businesses Crystal Britain, London Travel Service and Bridge Britain & Ireland, which were integrated into the Hotel Breaks Division.
In order to further expand its European interests, Holidaybreak acquired the web-based hotel breaks business, Business Reservation Centre Holland Holding BV, based in the Netherlands in 2004, the Dutch soft adventure company Djoser BV in 2005 and the two German specialist tour operators, carpe diem Sprachreisen and TravelWorks in 2006.
In December 2006, Holidaybreak’s subsidiary, Superbreak acquired the tour operating business, Highlife, which gave access to additional London capacity and enabled Superbreak to benefit from demand for the Tutankhamun and First Emperor exhibitions from December 2007 onwards.
In January 2007, Holidaybreak’s subsidiary, Superbreak, acquired the London theatre ticket agent West End Theatre Bookings. In June of the same year, Holidaybreak acquired PGL, the UK’s leading school trips organiser, for total consideration (including costs) of £97.6m and formed its fourth operating division, the Education Division.
The Group’s Education Division was further expanded with the acquisition of NST, a leading provider of group travel to schools and colleges throughout the UK, for total consideration (including costs) of £39.6m in October 2007 and the acquisition of Hertford Travel Group Limited, the holding company of educational tour operator European Study Tours, for total consideration (including costs) of £4.8m in June 2008.
