Tourvest buys Brothers Sport

27 Sep 2011

Tourvest Destination Management (TDM) has acquired Brothers Sport, one of South Africa's established inbound and outbound sports tour operators, which will now fall under TDM's Business and Sport Events division.

The company is the ideal complement to Indo Jet Sports, which, together with TEAM, forms the core of the sports division.

Based in Cape Town, Brothers Sport oversees all tourism needs - from accommodation to transport, excursions and, most importantly, fixtures and festivals - for both inbound and outbound tours for schools (sport and cultural) as well as clubs and universities. Established in 2003 by husband and wife team Chris and Mari Brothers, the agency has gained experience across such diverse sporting codes as cycling, hockey, cricket, rugby, golf, motor racing and bowls, and created packages around renowned events like the J&B Met, the Two Oceans Marathon as well as Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour.

Will continue to operate as independent brands

TDM's COO, Bryan Coetzee, is extremely excited about the division's latest development, which became effective on 1 September, 2011.

He explains that Brothers Sport and Indo Jet Sports will amalgamate, but will continue to operate as independent brands, in this way offering the greatest value to customers. "Indo Jet Sports has traditionally focused on large international rugby events and, to a lesser extent, school tours. The focus at Brothers Sport, on the other hand, lies predominantly in the local sport product and school tours market," he explained, adding that this range in scope creates for excellent synergies between the two companies, allowing for TDM to create a strong presence in both the local, inbound and outbound schools and sport markets. It also provides the platform for the company to participate in local and international sporting events like Formula One, the Rugby World Cup, the FIFA World Cup and many others.

Entrepreneurial spirit

Coetzee further commented on the "strong connectivity" and "entrepreneurial spirit" that characterises Brothers Sport, as well as the agency's strong reputation. These qualities, combined with the operational know how residing within Indo Jet Sports and TDM's buying power, creates an optimal base for future expansion.

"Separately, both businesses present an attractive proposition. Together, they augment each other's skills set, offering and capacity," Coetzee noted.