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Abercrombie & Kent pledges to invest in Cox & Kings UK
Abercrombie & Kent Group has pledged to invest in Cox & Kings UK after buying the world’s “oldest travel company’s” brand and assets out of administration.
Kerry Golds, now managing director of both brands, told TTG they complemented each other well, with Cox & Kings UK operating in the “premium luxury” space.
She said the biggest attraction for A&K was Cox & Kings UK’s strong trade distribution channel.
“Cox & Kings UK also has a lot of set departures, which we don’t do a huge amount of,” she added.
A&K has retained all 66 Cox & Kings UK jobs, as well as client bookings.
“Having worked in the industry for 35 years, the vital thing for me was to protect clients’ bookings, which we worked very closely with the CAA on,” said Golds.
She added growth plans for Cox & Kings UK – such as an investment in technology – would be drawn up in the new year.
“We’re really pleased to have been able to do this,” said Golds.
A&K founder Geoffrey Kent added: “This is an exciting time for A&K and the first iteration of growth plans globally."
Cox & Kings was founded in 1758 by military secretary Richard Cox. Golds described the brand as “renowned”.
Cox & Kings UK’s Indian parent was suspended by Iata in June after defaulting on its billing and settlement plan.
Its UK business, which operates under a separate Iata licence, remained fully operational amid Cox & Kings India’s financial difficulties with no repercussions for the UK business.
However, the UK division last month appointed KPMG to seek a new owner for the business amid the ongoing concerns over Cox & Kings India’s finances.
A&K confirmed late last month it was in “advanced discussions” over a move for Cox & Kings UK before a deal was announced on Wednesday (4 December).
Jennifer Morris
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