The UK office of holiday home specialist Novasol will close later this month as two key staff members depart to take up roles elsewhere in the industry.
Alex Stuart, UK general manager, is leaving on March 15 to become sales director at luxury operator Kenwood Travel, and marketing manager Alice Kiewiet will leave on March 29 to a post as marketing and communications manager at a five-star hotel in London.
The remaining member of UK staff, commercial and marketing executive James Delger, will move to Novasol’s head office near Copenhagen for a two-month handover period.
A social media executive and commercial manager recently left the London office and were not replaced.
Novasol UK was established in January 2015, and Stuart joined Novasol from Leger Holidays in December 2016 to help build awareness among agents and consumers in the UK.
It was part of the European Vacation Rentals group of brands, along with companies such as Hoseasons.
The brands were owned by global hospitality giant Wyndham Worldwide and then sold to investor Platinum Equity for $1.3 billion in May 2018.
Stuart said he has overseen a good two years in the UK for Novasol, commenting: “We have doubled turnover in the UK over the past two years, and trade business has risen by 50%.
“Overall revenues are up 41% and bookings rose 25%.
“But it has changed since the ownership changed, and I felt it was the right time to move.
“I wanted to get back into tour operating rather than just selling holiday homes.”
Stuart has held several other commercial and revenue roles, with companies such as Virgin Holidays, Clickstay, Tui Travel and James Villas.
He will move to his newly-created role with Kenwood, which is a direct-sell operator based in Moorgate, London.
Agents who have commercial terms with Novasol UK will not see any changes and will still be able to book holiday homes in sterling.
An internal Novasol memo seen by Travel Weekly confirmed that the UK sales activities will be centralised at the head office in Virum near Copenhagen after the departure of Stuart and Kiewiet.
Travel Weekly has approached Novasol’s head office for further comment.