An investment subsidiary of Investindustrial is to acquire Valtur Group from its current owners, Sofia which belongs to the Ljuljdjuraj family, who used to control the Valtur Group and will retain a minority shareholding.
The acquisition of Valtur represents the first step of a global project aimed at creating a leading Mediterranean resort operator with Italian roots. The strategy is to consolidate Valtur’s leadership position through the strengthening of its brand presence in the Mediterranean, and by promoting the Italian resort style internationally to increasing numbers of in-bound tourists.
Today Investindustrial has signed two other agreements: with Prelios SGR SpA for the acquisition of three resorts already managed by Valtur (Ostuni, Pila e Marilleva); and (with Antirion SGR Spa for the exclusive management Tanka Village (Tanka) in the south of Sardinia.
"Tourism is a strategic sector for the Italian economy that requires more attention from everyone. We are proud to support a project aimed at its enhancement,” says Andrea C Bonomi, Managing Principal of Investindustrial. "Today the resort players in the Italian market are still too fragmented to be able to attract and effectively manage the international flow of tourists that the country could potentially accommodate. Valtur will lead the consolidation process not only in Italy but more generally in Southern Europe. The agreement with Tanka is the first important milestone on this journey. We have developed a strategy with the company's management that will transform Valtur into the reference brand for tourism in the Mediterranean region and will allow Investindustrial to share its leisure sector experience gained over the years with its successful investments such as Gardaland, Portaventura and Goldcar.”
Franjo Ljuljdjuraj, CEO of Valtur, says: "When I started my adventure dedicated to the revitalization of a historic brand I knew that one day I would need a partner able to support the further development of the Company, including through acquistions. Investindustrial’s experience in the tourism sector and its recognized ability to globalise Italian brands are a perfect combination for Valtur."
