Scott Dunn has marked its first move into Asia with its acquisition of Singapore-based tailor-made travel specialist, Country Holidays.
The intended end result of the acquisition, according to Scott Dunn CEO Simon Russell, is for Scott Dunn to become the “largest luxury outbound travel operation in Asia”.
Country Holidays will be rebranded as Scott Dunn and the existing Scott Dunn Singapore and Country Holidays teams will be merged over the next year. Chang Theng Hwee (founder of Country Holidays) will be appointed the position of Scott Dunn CEO, Asia.
With a combined product offering, the two companies hope to form a symbiotic relationship. Country Holidays’ guests will be able to access Scott Dunn’s European and North American portfolio, while Scott Dunn guests can enjoy Country Holidays’ Asia offerings. Country Holidays can also use Scott Dunn’s 24-hour telephone based services and technology platforms.
Scott Dunn was unable to disclose the cost of the acquisition. Russell believes that outbound tourism is growing at a faster rate in Asia than in the UK, Europe and the USA. Scott Dunn will use its growing international presence to reduce dependency on the UK market. In the next five to ten years, Russell projects a third of revenues to come from each market – the UK, USA and Asia respectively.
Scott Dunn began as a luxury ski chalet company in 1986. Country Holidays, founded in 1994 in Singapore, is a bespoke private travel business in Asia, with offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and Dubai.
