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Apple Leisure Group and Mark Travel Corporation Announce Merger

Secrets Akuma in Riviera Maya is part of the Apple Leisure umbrella.

Apple Leisure Group and The Mark Travel Corporation (TMTC) have signed an agreement to merge the two companies into “an integrated leisure travel and technology solutions company,” the two announced in a statement on Monday.

All Mark Travel brands, including Funjet Vacations, will be part of the merger, which is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2018, subject to regulatory approvals. Apple Leisure is the parent company of AMResorts, AmStar, Apple Vacations, Travel Impressions and CheapCaribbean.com.

All three of the companies involved in the deal—Apple Leisure Group, Mark Travel, and Mark Travel’s sister company Trisept—will continue to operate as singular brands and maintain their own executive offices.

Zozaya, the CEO of Apple Leisure, will serve as the CEO of the combined companies. KKR and KSL Capital acquired Apple Leisure in 2016

Other details of the deal were not disclosed.

“In an intensely competitive industry, our combined company will be well-positioned to provide great value for consumers and customers while continuing to serve the needs of our partners across the travel industry,” Zozaya said in a statement.

“We are excited to join forces and are grateful for the continued participation of Bill La Macchia and Bill La Macchia, Jr. who will remain active in the combined business, including serving as members of the combined company’s Board of Directors,” he added.

“Mark Travel is trusted by leading airlines and hoteliers to manage their vacation brands, and we have built our business to provide memorable end-to-end vacation experiences,” said Bill La Macchia, the founder and CEO of Mark Travel.

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Apple Leisure Group and The Mark Travel Corp. complete merger

Milwaukee and Pennsylvania firms combine

Milwaukee-based The Mark Travel Corp. has completed its previously announced merger with Newtown Square, Pennsylvania-based Apple Leisure Group , the companies announced Tuesday. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Mark Travel operates Funjet Vacations and sister company Trisept Solutions distributes leisure travel technology.

Apple Leisure Group operates Apple Vacations, Cheap Caribbean and Travel Impressions. Private-equity companies KSL Capital Partners and KKR own Apple Leisure Group. It has approximately 25,000 employees and $3 billion in revenue.

The combined firm, Apple Leisure Group, will maintain principal executive offices in both Milwaukee and Newtown Square. It will continue offering travel packages via the Apple Leisure Group, Mark Travel and Trisept Solutions brands. Alex Zozaya will serve as chief executive officer and former Mark Travel chief executive officer Bill La Macchia Jr. will continue leading Trisept Solutions.

“Joining forces to create a leading integrated leisure travel and technology solutions company makes a lot of sense for both of us as it will offer even more value for consumers and a wider array of products and services for travel agent, airline, hotel and other travel industry partners,” Zozaya said. “The same traits that have made our two companies grow and succeed will be important contributors to growth and opportunity in the future.”

“The world’s leading airlines, hotels and resorts, tour operators, travel agencies, tourist bureaus, and theme parks rely on Trisept Solutions for the visibility they need to maximize their distribution,” La Macchia said. “We see only upsides for travel agents as a result of our two companies coming together as we will be able to help them better understand their customers’ needs, manage their suppliers and increase productivity.”

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Apple Leisure Group to Merge With Mark Travel in Consolidation of Legacy Players

Andrew Sheivachman, Skift

April 2nd, 2018 at 6:27 PM EDT

This transaction makes one of the largest private players in leisure travel, Apple Leisure Group, even bigger and sweetens the potential reward for the almost inevitable private equity sale of its assets.

When Apple Leisure Group was sold to private equity giant KKR last year, evidence suggested the leisure travel giant would hunt for more deals to expand its portfolio .

Apple Leisure Group announced Monday it will merge with  Mark Travel Corp , a longtime player in the leisure travel and travel technology sectors. Apple Leisure Group, which traces its roots to 1969, operates a vertically integrated series of vacation companies ranging from destination management and hotel management services to online booking sites for consumers.

The financial terms of the deal, which is expected to close in the second quarter of 2018, were not disclosed. Although the announcement of the two companies’ “joining forces,” didn’t state the dynamics of a merger, it appears as though Apple Leisure is calling the shots. Alex Zozaya, CEO of Apple Leisure Group, will be leading the combined company.

“In an intensely competitive industry, our combined company will be well-positioned to provide great value for consumers and customers while continuing to serve the needs of our partners across the travel industry,” said Alex Zozaya, CEO of Apple Leisure Group. “This strategic combination will leverage the complementary strengths of both companies to provide new and enhanced products and solutions to our customers and partners.”

While Zozaya will lead the combined company Mark Travel’s Bill La Macchia and Bill La Macchia Jr. will serve on the company’s board. Bill La Macchia founded the privately held company, which is headquartered in Milwaukee, in 1974.

Mark Travel provides destination and tour operator services around the world and manages vacation brands for global airlines. The most notable of these are United Vacations and Funjet Vacations, which has a consumer-facing component but is used by travel agents, as well.

Mark Travel’s technology arm,  Trisept Solutions , which provides travel agency technology solutions, is also part of the deal.

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Tags: apple leisure group , mergers and acquisitions , travel agents

Photo credit: Apple Leisure Group will acquire Mark Travel Corp., including its popular brands like Funjet Vacations and United Vacations. Pictured is Apple Leisure Group CEO Alex Zozaya (left) speaking with Skift Business Travel Editor Andrew Sheivachman at Skift Global Forum in New York City in September 2017. Skift

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The Mark Travel Corporation Welcomes Agents to Corporate Offices

Written by: Michelle on August 06, 2018

During the last week of July, The Mark Travel Corporation hosted a group of KHM Travel Agents and team members at their corporate headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Agents had a busy few days loaded with opportunities to learn more about the Mark Travel brands, their travel offerings, and connect with the Mark Travel team, as well as their fellow KHM Travel Agents.

Over the two days of the visit, the attendees were busy with informative sessions. The first of these sessions was with the founder and Chairman of The Mark Travel Corporation, Bill LaMacchia, Sr. He spoke about the merger of The Mark Travel Corporation with Apple Vacations, which was completed in May of 2018. This partnership brings even more value to the lineup of Mark Travel brands, which include Blue Sky Tours, Funjet Vacations, Southwest Vacations, and United Vacations. He also spoke about the history and core values of the corporation.

KHM Travel Group team member Chantelle Nye noted,

“What Bill LaMacchia Sr. said aligned with how Rick (Zimmerman) thinks and how both of our companies start with gratitude each day! Our core values are so similar, and the overall love and respect these men have for their “family” is amazing!”

Fellow team member, Kathy Molina echoed her sentiments and said,

“Mark Travel has such a deep appreciation and respect for KHM Travel Group.”

As the event continued, Vonda Keeler from Blue Diamond Resorts joined the group for lunch. She gave a brief overview of their resorts and answered questions from agents so that they can offer their clients the most up-to-date information and details about staying at a Blue Diamond Resort .

Robyn Basso from Hawaii Tourism also gave an overview of how booking Hawaiian vacations through The Mark Travel Corporation can help you get the best value and experience for your clients.

Those who attended also had a chance to meet with Customer Care, Agency Engagement, and other departments at The Mark Travel Corporation. Our agents enjoyed being able to actually meet with the Mark Travel team members with whom they often speak with on the phone or over email.

Our agents and team members had a fantastic time and learned a lot about what they offer. Chantelle summed up her experience with,

“It showed me how strong our relationship is with The Mark Travel Company, and I learned a great deal myself… I have always been an Apple Vacations and Travel Impressions girl, and now I have more confidence in them as a company and the products they represent!”

KHM Travel Group works with leading suppliers in the travel industry to provide our agents to provide them with the resources and education to be successful. Through our connections and support, we help agents start and grow their travel businesses. To find out more about becoming a travel agent with KHM Travel Group you can fill out the form on the right or give us a call at 1-888-611-1220.

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