Tue, 25 Mar 2025 | BUSINESS SALE
DoSomethingDifferent.com parent company Attraction Tickets has transitioned to employee ownership.
Owner, founder and chief executive Oliver Brendon and other shareholders have sold their shares in the largest seller of theme park ticket and hotel packages in the UK, and will hand ownership of the business to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). They believe Attraction Tickets is the largest UK travel company to make such a move.
It has served over 5 million customers, many time and time again, since 2002. This makes it the UK's largest attraction ticket provider for Walt Disney World Resort, SeaWorld, Universal Orlando Resort and Disneyland Paris.
Brendon will not be leaving as part of the transition. The EOT board will be chaired by Juliet Thorburn, global HR director at fellow employee-owned business Scott Bader and Brendon and his leadership team will continue to manage the Attraction Tickets business.
They were joined this week by Emilie Mouquot who assumes the new role of chief growth officer, following six years at Notonthehighstreet.com and previous spells at Tripadvisor and Viator.
Brendon said: “We are ready to accelerate our growth. While we have ambitious plans, we need a clear, actionable strategy to ensure every department understands their objectives and how success is measured. Emilie will be instrumental in developing and implementing this operational growth strategy. We also recognise the need for fresh perspectives, particularly in e-commerce, UX and sales.”
The Employee Ownership Trust transaction values the Attraction Tickets business at £41 million and each of Attraction Tickets’ 128 employees will share in EOT completion bonuses worth more than £1 million.
Payouts are based on length of service, with the first £3,600 of the bonuses being tax free under EOT rules. The average length of service at Attraction Tickets is over six years.
Attraction Tickets believes employee ownership will enable the business to grow and prosper organically, while “preserving its unique corporate culture, with all employees participating in its financial success in an enduring structure”.
Brendon added: “This is an important milestone for the company I started 23 years ago, and we are all excited about future growth. Above all, I sincerely hope that the legacy of this company is one of excellent service to our customers, enduring partnerships with our iconic suppliers and generating prosperity for all employees over the coming years and decades.”
Brendon said Attraction Tickets had seen strong demand for its core attractions in Florida, Paris and California, posting a total transaction value in the year to December 31, 2024 of £197 million, with an EBITDA of £6 million.
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