Solresor

Solresor was formed in Sweden in 1989 as part of STS Student Travel School. Its first operating season was narrowly focused on Gran Canaria, with 2,700 passengers travelling there. The business expanded its passenger base and destination programme in subsequent years, developing from a single-destination operation into a tour operator offering both familiar charter resorts and more distant international travel. The company’s most notable early expansion milestone came in 2000, when it arranged charter flights to the Azores. This made Solresor the first Swedish operator to offer charter travel to the Portuguese archipelago. The company continued to pursue a mixture of mainstream and unusual destinations and was described as the only company to launch charter flights to Salalah in Oman. These route decisions helped distinguish Solresor from operators focused solely on the largest established Mediterranean and Canary Islands markets. In autumn 2005, Solresor was sold to the Canada-based Primera Travel Group together with the Norwegian subsidiary Solia. The transaction brought Solresor into Primera Travel Group Scandinavia, whose structure included travel agencies and tour operators across the Nordic countries and Ireland. Primera Air was also associated with the broader group. The available material does not specify the legal terms of the acquisition or later changes in ownership. Solresor recorded a period of pronounced growth in the 2000s. It won the Grand Travel Award for Best Tour Operator in Sweden in 2005, 2006 and 2007. In 2007, the company’s sales reportedly rose by 40 percent, while Dagens Industri named it among Sweden’s fastest-growing companies. By 2008, turnover had exceeded SEK 2 billion excluding subsidiaries, and passenger volume had surpassed 200,000. The company was based in Malmö and also maintained centrally located travel shops in Stockholm and Gothenburg. Operationally, Solresor combined charter flights with long-distance travel based on scheduled services. The reference material states that its programme eventually covered more than 20 countries worldwide, although it does not provide a complete list or establish whether those figures describe a current offering. Anders Hagert was identified as chief executive and as someone involved in the company’s beginnings. The available reference is principally a historical account covering the company through 2008. It does not reliably document Solresor’s current status, present executives, current parent company, destination portfolio or official web presence. Those matters remain unconfirmed in this dossier.

• 2008

  More than 200,000 passengers recorded

  [1]Solresoren.wikipedia.org

  The company reports more than 200,000 passengers and turnover above SEK 2 billion excluding subsidiaries.

• 2007

  Third consecutive Best Tour Operator award

  [1]Solresoren.wikipedia.org

  Solresor completes a three-year sequence of Grand Travel Award wins in the Best Tour Operator category.

• 2006

  Second consecutive Best Tour Operator award

  [1]Solresoren.wikipedia.org

  Solresor wins the Grand Travel Award for Best Tour Operator for a second consecutive year.

• 2005

  Acquisition by Primera Travel Group

  [1]Solresoren.wikipedia.org

  Solresor, together with Solia’s Norwegian operation, is sold to Primera Travel Group.

• 2005

  First Grand Travel Award win

  [1]Solresoren.wikipedia.org

  Solresor wins Sweden’s Grand Travel Award for Best Tour Operator.

• 2000

  Azores charter programme launched

  [1]Solresoren.wikipedia.org

  Solresor becomes the first Swedish operator to arrange charter flights to the Azores.

• 1989

  Solresor begins operations

  [1]Solresoren.wikipedia.org

  Solresor is formed as part of STS Student Travel School and begins with travel to Gran Canaria.

A Swedish package-tour and travel-agency brand combining conventional charter holidays with long-distance travel and distinctive routes to less-established destinations.

• Package travel · 1989

  Charter holidays

  Solresor’s core offering comprised charter trips to established holiday destinations, including destinations in the Canary Islands and other traditional resort markets. The company expanded this format from its initial Gran Canaria operation into an international programme covering more than 20 countries according to the historical reference material.

• Long-haul travel

  Long-distance travel

  In addition to charter packages, Solresor offered long-distance journeys using scheduled flights. This model allowed the company to serve destinations beyond its conventional charter network and formed part of its broader worldwide holiday programme.

• Destination programme · 2000

  Azores charter travel

  Introduced in 2000, the Azores programme was a distinctive route offering. Solresor was identified as the first Swedish operator to arrange charter flights to the Portuguese archipelago.

• Destination programme

  Salalah charter travel

  Solresor was described as the only company to launch charter flights to Salalah in Oman. The route reflected the operator’s willingness to develop less conventional destinations alongside mainstream holiday markets.

• 2007

  Expansion of the destination portfolioStrategy

  Background

  Solresor was growing rapidly and had developed both conventional charter routes and more unusual long-distance destinations.

  Action taken

  The company continued broadening its worldwide programme while combining charter flights with scheduled-flight travel.

  Aftermath

  Sales reportedly increased by 40 percent in 2007, and the company was identified as one of Sweden’s fastest-growing businesses by Dagens Industri.

  Source

• 2005

  Sale to Primera Travel GroupM&A

  Background

  Solresor had grown from its original Swedish operation and was sold together with the Norwegian Solia subsidiary.

  Action taken

  Primera Travel Group acquired Solresor and the Norwegian Solia operation in autumn 2005.

  Aftermath

  Solresor became part of Primera Travel Group Scandinavia, a wider Nordic and Irish travel structure.

  Source

• 2000

  Launch of Azores charter flightsProduct launch

  Background

  Solresor was expanding beyond its original Gran Canaria programme and seeking distinctive international destinations.

  Action taken

  The company arranged charter flights from Sweden to the Azores, becoming the first Swedish operator to do so.

  Aftermath

  The Azores initiative preceded a rapid expansion of Solresor’s worldwide destination offering.

  Source

1. 1Solresoren.wikipedia.org