LUXURY travel business Scott Dunn, which was acquired by Flight Centre for $221 million at the beginning of the year, is gearing up for exponential growth, including the opening of a new office in New York next month.
According to British media reports, CEO Sonia Davies has confirmed the US east coast office will complement Scott Dunn’s operation in San Diego, California, which was established in 2016 and employs around 40 people.
Eight staff will relocate from Scott Dunn’s premises in London, Singapore and San Diego to join the new office in Manhattan, with Davies revealing plans to double the New York team over the next year through local recruitment.
The expansion follows a huge uptick in the agency’s US sales, which rose by 60% in January compared to the equivalent period in pre-COVID 2019.
Davies said the acquisition by FCTG also opens up opportunities for Scott Dunn to distribute its premium products through the UK trade, both in-house and through independent and agency consortia.
“Our growth plan is ambitious as we recognise the considerable opportunities,” she said, adding that the luxury agency is looking at “how we want to take the next chapter forward” now that is part of FCTG.
