PONANT takes majority stake in Aqua Expeditions
Luxurious expedition cruise agency PONANT EXPLORATIONS GROUP introduced its acquisition of a majority stake within the award-winning small-ship expedition firm Aqua Expeditions.
Aqua Expeditions is greatest recognized for its distinctive river and ocean cruises in South America, Southeast Asia and past.
At current, Aqua Expeditions operates small ships in biodiversity hotspots such because the Galápagos, Raja Ampat, Komodo, Spice Islands, the Mekong River, and the Peruvian Amazon River.
A key to enlargement
This strategic acquisition by PONANT EXPLORATIONS GROUP, backed by Artémis Group, the Pinault household’s funding firm, will empower Aqua Expeditions to proceed increasing its footprint globally and enabling the corporate’s development as a vacation spot specialist.
PONANT EXPLORATIONS GROUP chief govt Hervé Gastinel remarked: “We’re thrilled to welcome Aqua Expeditions into the Ponant household. This partnership aligns completely with our imaginative and prescient of excellence and sustainability within the luxurious sector. It displays our dedication to providing unparalleled journey experiences in iconic locations such because the Galápagos and now additionally river journeys, whereas preserving the pure fantastic thing about the locations we discover. We’re deeply impressed with the distinctive firm that Francesco has constructed over the previous 18 years and the distinctive model he has developed within the experiential journey house.”
Aqua Expeditions’ founder and CEO Francesco Galli Zugaro responded with: “Becoming a member of forces with PONANT EXPLORATIONS GROUP and having the assist of the Artémis Group is a outstanding alternative for Aqua Expeditions. Partnering with one other family-owned enterprise ensures we preserve a heritage of luxurious in our model. With the monetary assist and experience from our companions, we’re well-positioned to proceed our development and supply our company unforgettable journeys to the world’s most biodiverse and culturally wealthy areas whereas sustaining our core model values.”
What occurs now?
Zugaro will stay a shareholder and, alongside together with his senior administration group, will proceed to steer the corporate as a stand-alone enterprise unit, persevering with to function underneath the Aqua Expeditions model.
This transaction comes at a pivotal time as Aqua Expeditions ramps up the launch of its East Africa itineraries, exploring the Seychelles and Tanzania, with a selected give attention to the Aldabra group of islands.