Resurgence of UK travel M&A activity shows no signs of slowing down in 2024
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Clearwater International’s consumer team has been at the forefront of the post-pandemic rebound in travel sector M&A activity
The UK travel market saw continued growth in 2023, with no signs of slowing down in 2024. Its performance coincides with the strong post-pandemic recovery seen across the travel sector, as the long-term structural tailwinds driving the growth of both business and leisure travel have reasserted.
In terms of M&A activity, there is an increasingly positive sentiment amongst strategic acquirers – an encouraging sign given the particularly one-sided nature of M&A activity in the sector throughout the 2010s, when private equity transactions represented the vast majority of deal flow.
As measures to ease the cost-of-living crisis are implemented across the UK, consumers are given further cause for optimism, with many still budgeting and prioritising travel plans.
Key highlights from the team include:
- Clearwater’s consumer team were the number one mid-market UK adviser within the travel sector in 2023, completing more UK deals in the space than any other firm
- The consumer team advised on four transactions within the travel space in the last 12 months, with an aggregate transaction value of £0.5bn
- The team grew further to meet growing demand, with three new joiners in 2023
View our Travel Sector update here
