Austin Adventures, a family-owned adventure travel outfitter, has announced the acquisition of Wildland Adventures, an ecotourism company providing custom travel for small groups, safaris, family adventure vacations, small-boat adventure cruises and more. In an announcement made by Dan Austin, CEO and founder of Austin Adventures, he said the move was “part of our ongoing efforts to position Austin Adventures as the go-to company in adventure travel.”
Wildland Adventures has 35 years of travel expertise, offering dozens of adventures in some of the most sought-after destinations worldwide. Acquiring Wildland Adventures was an opportunity to grow Austin Adventures’ library of trips throughout North America and the world, Austin added, including “the iconic mountains of Glacier National Park, [watching] tropical birds display their colorful feathers in Costa Rica, or [venturing] into the vast Serengeti of Tanzania.”
Said Austin: “What makes this transition most appealing is how the philosophies of our two companies align. Wildland Adventures is known for delivering conscientious trips, prioritizing connections with the local people, and intimately exploring the environment—just as Austin Adventures does. Sustainable travel is in our collective DNA. We are excited to integrate their best adventures and time-tested best practices with our own.”
The formal closing for the purchase was late October. The two teams have since been busy integrating Wildland Adventures contracts, guests and tours within the two brands. New trips have already been added to Austin Adventures’ website. To ensure a smooth transition, Wildland CEO Kurt Kutay is staying on the team for the foreseeable future; he will be taking on roles in quality control and product development.
This is the fifth time in its 35 years that Austin Adventures has grown through acquisition, including Backcountry Tours, Eurobike Tours, CBT Tours, Inc. and Go South Adventures.
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