by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 11:56 AM ET, Tue February 22, 2022
WHY IT RATES: Hornblower Group continues its global expansion into Australia with the acquisition of Journey Beyond. - Lacey Pfalz, Associate Writer, TravelPulse
Hornblower Group announced it has closed on the acquisition of Australia's leading experiential travel group, Journey Beyond. Journey Beyond will join Hornblower's growing portfolio of world-class travel experiences and further expand its global footprint in Australia with a presence in 111 countries and territories worldwide.
"In our continued efforts to position Hornblower as a global leader in experiences and transportation, we are always exploring growth opportunities that will help expand our guest offerings and leverage our core capabilities of operating world-class customer experiences," said Kevin Rabbitt, chief executive officer, Hornblower Group.
"As two organizations with unmatched expertise in the experiential travel space, Journey Beyond aligns perfectly within our business strategy and core mission of creating amazing experiences for our guests. We look forward to growing the rich and unmatched business operations the Journey Beyond team has built as the premiere experiential travel company in Australia."
Australian-based Journey Beyond's business and brands are authentically Australian, bringing the country's iconic experiences to life for its guests. The magic of its brands, products and experiences is inspired by Australia's natural landscape and coastlines and is steeped in the country's diverse culture. Journey Beyond has a growing footprint and is the largest experiential tourism business in Australia. The company's goal is to take their guests beyond, to ignite their imagination and to transform the amazing into the breathtaking.
Journey Beyond, is privileged to own 13 Australian brands, operating in 60 destinations Australia wide, connecting guests to the land, and to each other. Its unrivaled fleet of 130 train carriages, 52 high-speed marine vessels, 51 4WD touring vehicles, 10 luxury camps and lodges, eight aircraft and two high-speed lifts provide unparalleled access to remote locations, helping achieve Journey Beyond's mission of sharing special places and shaping lasting memories. Headquartered in Adelaide, the Journey Beyond portfolio of amazing experiences includes:
- Iconic trains: The Ghan, Indian Pacific, Great Southern and The Overland;
- Premium small-group outback tour operator: Outback Spirit;
- Eco-luxe lodging: Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef;
- Aquatic adventures: Cruise Whitsundays, Rottnest Express, Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures, Darwin Harbour Cruises and Journey Beyond Cruise Sydney;
- Melbourne Skydeck: the tallest attraction, which has recently undergone a multi-million dollar transformation;
- Fine dining experience: Eureka89.
"We are thrilled to join the Hornblower Group's global portfolio of renowned brands. Journey Beyond and Hornblower share the same values and commitment towards what we do best - delivering one-of-a-kind guest experiences that create lasting memories," said Chris Tallent, chief executive officer, Journey Beyond. "We look forward to this next venture and we are excited to see Journey Beyond thrive within Hornblower Group into 2022 and beyond."
With the completion of this acquisition, Journey Beyond will join Hornblower's world-class offerings which include water-based experiences, land-based experiences, overnight cruises and experiences and ferry and transportation services across 111 countries and 125 cities. The acquisition will support Hornblower's overall business strategy to grow its product offerings in some of the most vibrant travel and tourism markets in the world.
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