Founder Brett Dudley sells Australasia’s ecruising after 20 years

Ecruising adds to Skybound Australia’s growing equity portfolio.

London headquarters

Skybound Fidelis Investment Limited forms part of a broader financial services group called Skybound Capital, with headquarters in London.

‘The Skybound Capital Group is a A$2bn global wealth business which is currently growing its exposure to the Australian market,’ Skybound Australia’s MD Jeremy Thorpe said. 

Key focusses in Australia are currently the property, consumer lending and the travel, entertainment and leisure markets.

The CEO of LeisureCom Group, Steve Chant, said the purchase of ecruising is part of a strategy to aggressively grow its leisure, travel and lifestyle footprint in the Australian market.

Online selling pioneer 

Ecruising pioneered cruise holiday packaging and the way Australians purchase a cruise holiday online.

It was the first Australian agency to develop direct application program interfaces with major cruise lines.

Latitude 33

It generated more than A$30m in sales during the last financial year and in February 2016 the business was expanded with the creation of high-end luxury travel brand Latitude 33, part of the company’s boutique range of cruise products.

‘I’ve always wanted to get our business to the 20-year mark, a real milestone achievement,’ Dudley said. 

‘It’s been quite a journey and I have loved every minute of it, especially the people I’ve met along the way,’ he said.

‘I couldn’t have done it without the support of the trade, my amazing staff and my wife.’

Dudley and his team will continue to run the business from its base in Sydney with LeisureCom Group working alongside to expand growth.