The Original and the Best

Multi award-winning luxury travel company Original Travel is delighted to announce the acquisition of bespoke long-haul tour operator Tim Best Travel.

The tie-up brings together two market-leading companies, both of whom take pride in the quality of their experience-led travel portfolios and also their culture of offering exceptional levels of customer-service. The enlarged company becomes one of the best tailor-made choices for clients at the luxury end of the market.

Both businesses have repeat and referral rates exceeding 70% Combining portfolios offers an exceptionally wide array of destinations to clients Bringing the two teams together forms a group of consultants with in-depth knowledge and unparalleled experience in tailor-made travel worldwide, and particularly to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the Indian sub-continent

Both Original Travel and Tim Best Travel have experienced uninterrupted growth since their inceptions in 2003 and 1994 respectively. Revenues at Original Travel have grown at a compound annual growth rate of 75% since launch while Tim Best Travel has experienced 15-20% revenue growth over the last few years.

Tim Best, owner and director of Tim Best Travel, said In the search to expand the business, we have had discussions with several companies, and looked at a variety of possibilities. We have chosen to go ahead with what we believe to be the most exciting opportunity. Original Travels dynamic and innovative management team are ideal partners to take the company onwards and upwards.

In its short history Original Travel has made several timely strategic decisions from re-inventing the short break with their Big Short Break portfolio, expanding into experience led long-haul and family holidays, raising private equity capital in June 2007 and now by choosing what it considers to be the perfect partner in the bespoke travel sector.

Original Travel co-founder and last weeks winner of BTs 2008 Essence of the Entrepreneur Award, Nick Newbury commented This is directly in line with our growth strategy. The equity capital raised in June 2007 has allowed us to assemble one of the best teams in the business, increase our client base, market-share and product offering both organically and acquisitively, and for the benefit of all our customers. Tim Best is a doyen of the luxury travel industry and Tim Best Travel is a market leader staffed by extremely knowledgeable consultants with an excellent database of clients who expect the best bespoke travel advice, much like our existing clients. We look forward to working alongside Tim and his team to build on both companies successes.

- Ends- Notes to editors

About Original Travel (www.originaltravel.co.uk)

Original Travel is one of the UKs fastest growing bespoke travel companies, offering trips to 84 countries worldwide. Since its launch in 2003, the multi-award winning company has firmly established itself as one to watch in the travel industry. Revenue has grown at a compound annual growth rate of 75% since launch. The company has won seven national awards including the Best Tour Operator and Best Short Break Tour Operator awards at the Guardian/Observer Travel Awards in 2007 and 2008 respectively and the BT Essence of the Entrepreneur Award, announced only last week.

The founding directors are all still with the company. Prior to starting Original Travel Nick Newbury worked as a corporate financier with ING Barings and Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, Alastair Poulain was a venture capitalist with Sun Capital Partners and prior to that in the army where he spent two years as Equerry to HRH the Prince of Wales and Tom Barber was a journalist with a number of leading publications. Among the non-executive team are explorer Bear Grylls, Julian Hanson-Smith of Iceni Capital and Martin Leppard, former MD of the UK travel arm of Cendant Group.

About Tim Best Travel (www.timbesttravel.com)

Luxury travel company Tim Best Travel was founded in 1994 and began by specialising in Africa, and the Indian Ocean Islands. It has continued to expand its client base, and its wide portfolio of destinations now stretches throughout Latin America, the Indian sub-continent, and Australia, as well as most countries throughout Africa.

Tim Best runs the business from premises in South Kensington where the company promotes luxury and adventure travel to more than 30 countries.

For further information and to arrange interviews with Original Travel founders Nick Newbury, Tom Barber and Alastair Poulain, please contact:

Jenny Geal, Original Travel T: 020 7978 0200 E: jenny@originaltravel.co.uk Nick, Tom & Alastair T: 020 7978 7333