The managing director of Kuoni UK has said that a change in ownership will ultimately benefit the company.

Yesterday, Kuoni Group stunned the travel industry by putting its tour operating businesses up for sale.

The UK is one of six country units that will be sold separately. TTG canvassed opinion from industry M&A experts who indicated that the business would not be short of suitors.

“Clearly we’ve gone to market because we anticipate that there will be interest in our brand. It is a great brand. We’ve got lots of heritage, it’s very well respected. We’ve got a great management team. We’ve developed a sustainable strategy over the past five years, which is now coming to fruition,” Jones told TTG.

Jones believes that over the past few years Kuoni UK has behaved like an independent brand and that this spirit will help it attract the right buyer.

“If you look at what we’ve managed to deliver in a corporate environment, we look and feel from the inside and the outside much more entrepreneurial then you’d think. And for me that can only be a positive thing when it comes to future ownership.

“If we can find ourselves in a slightly different environment with more investment and a more entrepreneurial culture, then we have the opportunity to accelerate our growth.”