"Kuoni is an international tour operating company. Although it operates some short-haul holidays, Kuoni is perhaps best known in the UK as a long-haul and specialist tour operator. Figure 3.1 lists the Kuoni brochures available in the UK marketplace in 2007-8. Kuoni was founded by Alfred Kuoni in Switzerland in 1906 when he added a travel agency to the family freight transport business.

Since 1966, Kuoni has been a major long-haul tour operator in the UK market. More recently it has diversified into ‘niche markets’ by acquiring previously independent specialist tour operator businesses. These have included Voyages Jules Verne, Travel Collection and Sport Abroad – brands which continue to operate autonomously within the wider Kuoni Group. Kuoni UK underwent a major restructuring in 2006-7 (its centenary year) and broadened its product range by purchasing two upmarket touring holiday brands – Journeys of Distinction and Kirker Holidays. This was in line with Kuoni’s current strategy of focusing on high quality travel products".