Virgin Atlantic, a trans-Atlantic air carrier and part of the Virgin group of companies, is the biggest selling travel company for 2012 on the Sunday Times Top Track 100 list.
The Sunday Times league table ranks Britain’s top 100 private companies with the fastest growing sales over the last three years. Along with its sister company, Virgin Holidays, Virgin Atlantic increased its sales by five percent to a total of £2.9 billion in 2012, and while these sales figures could not prevent the company from registering a £35 million loss for the period, they were good enough to achieve 12th position on the Sunday Times list, higher than any other travel related company.
Other notable travel company listings were Acromas, the parent company of Saga Holidays and the AA, which was in 20th place due to a sales increase of 15 percent to a total of £2.1 billion; and Merlin Entertainments, an attractions firm, which achieved 48th position in the table with sales of £1 billion. Bourne, Leisure, the parent company of British holiday icons, Butlins, Haven and Warner, dropped from 67 on the list to 71, with £839 million in sales last year, while Monarch Holdings, the parent company of airlines Monarch and Cosmos, registered a sales increase of nine percent to £825 million, and claimed 73rd position on the list.
The report concluded, ‘With signs of gradual economic recovery at home and lucrative opportunities in growth markets overseas, it will be a busy year for all the companies in this year’s Top Track 100.’
