Kuoni may acquire adventure sports cos

NEW DELHI: Travel major Kuoni is close to acquiring two adventure sports companies, before launching an international adventure sports brand in the country. At the same time, the group is looking to pick up a majority stake in an event management company to ramp up its presence in the incentive tours and conferences market. A high-end lifestyle tourism brand is also on the anvil, senior company executives said.

Speaking to ET, Kuoni Destinations Management CEO Rolf Schafroth said India is one of the most profitable destinations for the Kuoni Group worldwide. “We would like to strengthen our position by offering newer experiences to inbound tourists,” he said. The foray into adventure tourism and hardselling India as major destination for incentive tours and travels is a step in that direction, he added. High-end lifestyle tourism is another niche that the company would tap in major way.

Given the fragmented nature of adventure sports market in India, the company is in talks with two companies—one which specialises in organising safari tours and another which focuses on mountaineering, treking and river rafting. “Adventure sports would be an extension of our leisure business,” Mr Schafroth said. Kuoni India will be organising Festcamps in 2008 that would promote little know destinations and festivals. Tented infrastructure would be put in place to offer on site accommodation. To start with the company plans to market fairs in Bateshwar near Agra, Kolayat near Bikaner, Baneswar near Dungarpur and Balota near Jodhpur to international tourists.

Kuoni globally has re-structured its business with three strategic business divisions (SBD)—Style, Smart and Destinations—moving away from its country-based approach. The Style SBD would focus on brand and service related products, Smart SBD would deal with mass-market value offerings while the Destinations SBD would take care of local land arrangements. Mr Schafroth has just taken charge of the Destinations vertical globally, while also being part of the five-member Group Executive Board of Kuoni.