Concluded on 3 January, the deal will take the travel services provider’s turnover to more than £500 million, pushing its employee numbers to 500. 

It follows the company’s expansion into the US and Australian markets over the past year, with the acquisition of MP Travel – which has bases in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne – and of Florida-based Express Travel. 

Commenting on the announcement, Gray Dawes Group chief executive Suzanne Horner said: “We’ve been very successful picking up businesses in the UK and integrating them – we know how to do that well. 

“Now, following our expansion last year into Australia and the US, we’ve been doing that internationally.”

According to Horner, VCK Travel’s acquisition marks the next step into Gray Dawes Group’s growth plans, as Covid-induced challenges are “firmly behind” the company. 

The travel service provider has in fact returned to black, with revenue exceeding pre-pandemic levels as well as record-breaking profitability. 

“Gray Dawes is fantastically placed, both financially and from a skills perspective, to really drive our strategy, while developing all parts of the business and new ventures,” Horner added.