Travel Technology, Hospitality Management
Virgin Voyages | September 08, 2023
Virgin Voyages announced a $550 million funding round led by Ares Management for global expansion.
Founder Tom McAlpin transitions to Chairman of the Board, while Nirmal Saverimuttu takes over as CEO, bringing extensive experience from Virgin Voyages' early days.
Virgin Voyages looks forward to continued success and collaboration with investors, including Ares Management, to drive future growth and innovation.
Virgin Voyages, the award-winning cruise brand backed by Richard Branson's Virgin Group, has announced the completion of a $550 million fundraise led by Ares Management's Private Equity Group. This funding, including contributions from existing investors such as Virgin Group and Bain Capital, is poised to propel Virgin Voyages into international markets while enhancing the overall customer experience.
Partner and Co-Portfolio Manager of Special Opportunities in the Ares Private Equity Group, Aaron Rosen, remarked,
With this new investment alongside our partners at Virgin Group and Bain Capital, we believe the company is on strong footing to capitalize on its differentiated product and value proposition in the growing cruise industry.
[Source - Cision PR Newswire]
Established as a leading player in the industry, Virgin Voyages has swiftly gained recognition and accolades with a fleet serving various destinations and recent wins like topping the mega-ship category in Travel + Leisure's 2023 World's Best Awards and sweeping all five cruise categories in the 2023 Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice Awards.
Alongside this development, Tom McAlpin, the founding CEO, is transitioning to the role of Chairman of the Board. Nirmal Saverimuttu is taking the reins as the new Chief Executive Officer, having formerly served as President and Chief Experience Officer. In addition, Nirmal Saverimuttu has been a foundational figure at Virgin Voyages since 2014, when he joined as Chief Commercial Officer after securing initial investments from the Virgin Group. His role expanded in 2021 to President and Chief Experience Officer, making him well-prepared to guide the brand into its next phase of growth and innovation.
Nirmal Saverimuttu, CEO of Virgin Voyages, said,
I want to send our deepest thanks, on behalf of all our Crew and the Board, to Tom for his leadership and passion for the business. We are so grateful for all he has done and are thrilled to continue to partner with him as our Chairman.
[Source – Cision PR Newswire]
Virgin Voyages is a trusted brand due to its crew's dedication and passion for offering remarkable experiences for its guests. Nirmal also expressed his anticipation of collaborating with the Ares team and Virgin Voyages' current investors to execute growth and expansion plans as the company contemplates its promising future.
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Business Travel
prnewswire | July 11, 2023
With the significant increase in European travel from North America, Exodus Travels the award-winning leader in adventure travel, has launched a new Active Europe Collection. This expanded offering, including hiking and cycling trips, features more than 19 new itineraries across nine European countries. These new adventures are designed to bring travelers closer to Europe's hidden gems while enjoying new and unique experiences in the great outdoors.
The new Active Europe Collection encompasses active itineraries that have been meticulously crafted to cater to adventure enthusiasts, with options for every skill level and interest. From the Tuscan countryside and the UK's Lake District to Norway's Fjords and the Mediterranean Coast, each trip promises to deliver unforgettable moments and authentic encounters with Europe's natural wonders.
"We understand the growing desire for active travel experiences that go beyond traditional sightseeing, and the Active Europe Collection was designed to fulfill these aspirations," says Katy Rockett, Director of Growth, North America for Exodus Travels. "With our team of expert local guides and carefully crafted itineraries, travelers can revel in transformative experiences that have a lasting impact."
The new European collection includes a variety of memorable adventures including:
Tuscan Hills & Chianti Wines – Premium Adventure: On this eight-day guided tour, guests will enjoy an elevated experience as they explore the idyllic Tuscan countryside, with a stay in an exclusive villa complete with a pool and private chef. From this base, which is located close to the medieval town of San Gimignano, the trip features five days of gentle walking and sightseeing, including visits to Florence and Siena, as well as timeless villages and the quaint walled town of Certaldo. Activities includes three wine-tasting experiences, as well as a visit to Brolio Castle gardens, the birthplace of Chianti wine.
Castles, Hadrian's Wall & the Lake District Travelers can discover the forts, fells, and film sets of northern England on this new six-day guided trip that offers a wonderful combination of history and hiking. Highlights include a visit to beautiful Alnwick Castle, which stood in as Hogwarts in the first two Harry Potter movies, the striking Bamburgh Castle on the Northumberland coast, the Holy Island of Lindisfarne to see the historic priory ruins, and much more. Travelers will also hike a section of Hadrian's Wall, hike Cat Bells for unforgettable views over the Lake District, and summit Helvellyn, a walk considered to be among the most beautiful in the UK.
Cycling the Mediterranean Coast in Spain Cycle between the vibrant cities of Barcelona and Valencia on this week-long guided adventure on two wheels. Travelling along the Mediterranean coast, with stays at a different seafront hotel each night, the itinerary features a fantastic mix of cycling lanes and quiet paved roads, with only four short transfers on the cycling days.
Cycling the Coastal Portuguese Camino: Following the Atlantic shoreline, the Portuguese Camino coastal route is perhaps the most scenic of the trails that comprise the iconic Camino de Santiago. On this eight-day culture-cycling adventure, guests start in Porto and head north, eventually crossing into Spain and to the final stop in Santiago de Compostela. Along the way, the tour visits a string of atmospheric coastal towns, and through the picturesque Galician countryside, while also collecting the stamps necessary to receive the Compostela certificate in Santiago, proof of completion of this historic pilgrimage.
Walking the Fjords: The Norwegian fjords are rightly ranked as one of the most stunning natural wonders of the world and on this nine-day guided hike, travelers will be immersed in the stunning landscapes that define this region, including snow-capped mountains, steep green hillsides, and powerful waterfalls plunging into calm, clear fjordic waters. By exploring by foot, travelers enjoy unique access to areas of stunning beauty and high panoramic viewpoints. In the fjords, guests stay in two locations – a cozy family-run guesthouse that looks towards the Feigumfossen waterfall, and another family-run hotel on the waterfront in the town of Fjærland.
Cycle the Loire Valley: On this gentle week-long cycling adventure, travelers ride sections of the Loire à Vélo, a scenic cycling route that tracks along the Loire River – from Blois to Saumur – past orchards, vineyards, and small villages. Highlights include visits to a magnificent chateau steeped in Renaissance history, stops at the world-renowned vineyards of Vouvray and Chinon, and much more.
In related news, Exodus Travels announced the "Join the Adventure" promotion with significant savings. This special promotion includes major savings on select trips in two ways:
Join the Adventure Together -- Book a trip with a travel partner departing in 2023 and the second person will receive 25% off the cost of their trip; or
Join the Adventure Solo -- Solo travelers can take advantage of 50% off the price of a single supplement. If no solo rooms are available or there's a preference to be paired with a roommate, Exodus Travels will pass along the equivalent savings.
As with all itineraries, Exodus Travels prioritizes sustainable and responsible travel practices, fostering a deep connection with local communities and minimizing the environmental impact.
About Exodus Travels
For nearly 50 years Exodus Travels has been the leader in active adventures and is known for "improving life through travel." Exodus Travels is the winner of the National Geographic Traveller Reader Awards and is a recipient of the Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Award, Wanderlust Magazine's Best Tour Leader of the Year, USA Today's Readers' Choice Award and the British Travel Awards.
Exodus Travels provides unforgettable journeys and expert insights through more than 500 active adventures to Europe and 100 other countries. Award-winning trips across seven continents include active adventures to the majestic peaks of Kilimanjaro, the agent wonders of Machu Picchu, the breathtaking beauty of Italy's Amalfi Coast, and other memorable destinations.
With an unwavering commitment to sustainability, Exodus Travels is dedicated to creating incredible, responsibly run adventures, and understands the importance of regenerative travel. Efforts include a "re-wilding" initiative that ensures for every traveler, 100 square meters of land is dedicated to preservation projects. Exodus Travels is dedicated to creating memorable and responsible adventures so travelers can book and travel with confidence.
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Travel Technology
businesswire | July 04, 2023
AlertMedia, the world’s leading provider of threat intelligence, emergency communication, and travel risk management solutions, today announced a new integration with Navan, a globally recognized travel and expense management company. Through the integration, joint AlertMedia-Navan customers can now automatically sync travel data from Navan into AlertMedia Travel Risk Management, providing travel risk and security teams a real-time view of employees’ locations while traveling for work, along with a powerful suite of tools to prepare employees ahead of business trips, monitor emerging travel risks, and respond quickly to keep travelers out of harm’s way.
“Business travelers face a multitude of potential threats, from severe weather and natural disasters to geopolitical conflicts and protests. As the volume of business trips continues to grow, managing these travel risks can become increasingly complex and challenging, especially for the largest organizations,” said Christopher Kenessey, CEO for AlertMedia. “Ensuring traveling employees are safe at all times starts with knowing where they will be and when—and being able to quickly identify when critical events emerge—which is exactly what this integration empowers security and travel risk leaders to do, all from a single interface.”
Available to customers worldwide, the turnkey integration drastically reduces the time required to identify, correlate, and respond to travel risks that may impact active trips or upcoming trips. Additional benefits of the AlertMedia-Navan integration include:
Frictionless travel data management: Unify travel safety and risk management workflows within a single pane of glass to enable faster, more consistent response processes.
Accurate, non-invasive location monitoring: Know where your traveling employees are at all times and their proximity to emerging risks with the AlertMedia mobile app and powerful mapping features.
Automatic, multichannel notifications to at-risk travelers: Accelerate response times to critical events with automated, multichannel notifications sent directly to impacted travelers or security teams.
About AlertMedia
AlertMedia helps organizations protect their people and business through all phases of an emergency. Our award-winning threat intelligence, emergency communication, and travel risk management solutions help companies of all sizes identify, respond to, and recover from critical events faster and with greater confidence. AlertMedia supports critical communication for thousands of leading businesses—including DHL, JetBlue, Coca-Cola Bottling, In-N-Out, and Walmart—in more than 130 countries.
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