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A travel company owned by a Saudi Arabia giant is to more than double the size of its Manchester city centre office in the New Year.
Portman Travel will take on an additional 11,000 sq ft of space at The Tootal Buildings in Oxford Street from January for its Clarity Travel and Destination Sport businesses. The deal will take its occupation to nearly 20,000 sq ft.
The group, which is headquartered in Chester, includes the likes of luxury holiday tour operators Elegant Resorts and If Only Holidays, business travel firms Charity Travel, Portman Travel (Ireland), Portman Travel BV and sports travel management companies Destination Sport and International Sports Tours. It also includes travel management businesses in France, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Spain, Italy and Germany.
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The group is owned by Seera Holding Group, a Saudi Arabia-based listed company worth around £1bn. In 2022, the Portman Travel Group’s revenue totalled £143m while it made a £2.3m pre-tax loss. During 2022, the group increased its headcount from 551 to 620, having cut it from 784 in 2021.
Property consultancy Fisher German acted on behalf of Portman Travel to agree the deal which sees the business commit to a new 10-year lease on both its existing suite of 8,000 sq ft together with the additional space.
David Laws, partner at Fisher German, said: “The Clarity Travel and Destination Sports expansion is fantastic news for the city, and sends a positive statement to both the property and travel sectors. Much of the recent office market narrative has focused on businesses seeking less space in a post pandemic, hybrid work environment.
“This deal bucks the trend and it’s great to see businesses expand and invest in their workplaces. The Tootal Buildings provides the perfect base for Clarity and Destination Sports having recently undergone a significant investment by landlord XLB & Pictet offering high-quality, sustainable, office space with excellent amenities in a vibrant part of the city centre.”
Stephen Wormald, of XLB, added: “Clarity Travel and Destination Sports are long-standing occupiers and it is great to be able to provide the right space for its continued growth. Our commitment to providing sustainable workspace together with best-in-class amenities and occupier engagement, has facilitated 55,000 sq ft of new leases during 2023, taking the buildings to 98 per cent occupied.”
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