TORONTO — Flight Centre Travel Group (FLT) is in the process of acquiring leading Quebec City-based travel company Les Voyages Laurier du Vallon (LDV), setting its sights on the province as part of its national growth strategy in Canada.

FLT managing director Graham Turner said the acquisition would significantly strengthen FLT’s presence in Quebec, a market where Turner says FLT was under-represented, partly as a result of challenges posed by complying with local guidelines relating to use of the French language.

“Quebec is a large and attractive market for FLT, but our ability to expand and grow market share in this province has, until now, been constrained,” he said. “By working with LDV, we will be able to leverage the business’s local expertise, experience and linguistic capabilities to grow our presence in Canada’s second largest market, which is a major corporate hub and home to a large and active leisure travel population.”

He added: “There are also opportunities to capitalize on other synergies and to help grow LDV by drawing on FLT’s corporate product suite, proven marketing expertise, global supplier relationships; and rapidly expanding range of unique airfares, packages and in-destination offerings, which can be distributed through the LDV network.”

“We are thrilled to be working with LDV, an established company in a market where we see enormous potential,” said Flight Centre’s President in Canada John Beauvais, added that the acquisition is an integral part of the Canadian growth strategy.

LDV was established in 1963 and went on to become one of the largest independent travel agencies in Quebec. The privately owned business, which has six locations across Quebec City and one location in Montreal, currently employs about 100 people across its three core business units which include a five-shop luxury leisure travel business that generates about half of LDV’s volume; a strong corporate business that operates out of Quebec City and Montreal and generates about 40% of group volume; and an emerging MICE business.

The businesses will continue to trade as LDV, to capitalize on the brand’s strong presence in Quebec. Current LDV general manager Nicolas Racine will continue to run the business and will become part of FLT’s senior leadership group in Canada. He will report to FLT’s president in Canada, John Beauvais.

FLT’s broader Americas division, which is now the company’s second largest business by sales (behind Australia), includes Flight Centre USA, the FLT Canada business, now in eight provinces (B.C., Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Quebec); and a small corporate travel operation in Mexico. The company also recently secured a 24.1% interest in Bibam, an Argentina-based travel and technology group with a strong presence in the on and offline leisure, corporate and wholesale sectors.