Cox & Kings Australia buys Bentours

Scandinavian and Eastern European specialist Bentours has been purchased by Cox &
Kings Australia for an undisclosed sum.

Bentours completes destination coverage of the Greater Europe region for Cox & King's operations in Australia and New Zealand without expanding the brand of Tempo Holidays, which Cox & Kings purchased late 2008.

Bentours will continue to operate as a stand alone brand from its Sydney base but will be managed by the Cox & Kings Australia management team in Melbourne.

The purchase continues Cox & Kings' strategy of growth in the Australian market and investment in quality brands, according to Cox & Kings Australia CEO, Steve Reynolds, who negotiated the purchase.

"Bentours is a natural fit with Tempo Holidays," he said. "Bentours shares Tempo's corporate values, it services the FIT and small groups market, it is a destination specialist, has strong trade associations, selects quality products, has a strong service ethic and values staff destination experience and knowledge."

"We will be leveraging resources and technology to optimise both operations, however, we are keen to take the time to understand the business in detail before making any significant changes," Mr Reynolds said.