HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - Sunwing Vacations Group
OR:
Sunwing Vacations Group on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

Sunwing Vacations Group, formerly known as Sunwing Travel Group, headquartered in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
,
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
, became a subsidiary of the WestJet Group on May 1, 2023. Today, it operates as the leisure division of the WestJet Group; according to its website, the group forms "the largest vacations brand in North America." Following the acquisition, Sunwing Vacations Group operates the following entities:


History


Founding and Early Growth (2002-2005)

Sunwing Group was founded in 2002 by Colin Hunter. By 2004, Sunwing had become the second largest tour operator in
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
. On November 17, 2005,
Sunwing Airlines Sunwing Airlines Inc. was a Canadian low-cost airline headquartered in Toronto, Ontario with its main bases at Montréal–Trudeau International Airport and Toronto Pearson International Airport. From 2023 onwards, it was a subsidiary of W ...
' inaugural flight, a
Boeing 737-800 The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a twinjet, twin-engine narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third-generation derivative of the Boeing 737, it ha ...
, departed from
Toronto Pearson International Airport Toronto Pearson International Airport is an international airport located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is the main airport serving Toronto, its metropolitan area, and the surrounding region known as the Golden Horseshoe. Pearson is the ...
.


Expansion through Acquisitions (2009-2011)

In 2009, Sunwing Group embarked on a strategic expansion, announcing the acquisition of tour operator Signature Vacations and its SellOffVacations.com retail division from UK-based
TUI Travel TUI Travel PLC was a British leisure travel group headquartered in Crawley, West Sussex. The company was formed on 3 September 2007 by the merger of First Choice Holidays PLC and the Tourism Division of TUI AG, which owned 56.4% of it. The compa ...
. This acquisition led to TUI gaining a 49 percent ownership stake in Sunwing Travel Group, and Stephen Hunter stepping into the role of CEO, succeeding his father. In 2010, Sunwing Travel Group acquired ''Caribbean NexusTours'', a tour operator in the Dominican Republic and Mexico. The company was renamed NexusTours and remains a separate company within Sunwing Travel Group. In 2011, Sunwing Travel Group announced that it would enter the European market with a seasonal service from Canada to Europe. However, this initiative did not materialize as expected, and there have been no records of regular flights to Europe under the Sunwing banner since this announcement. Later that year, Sunwing Travel Group further diversified its portfolio with the purchase of Luxe Destination Weddings. This acquisition allowed Sunwing to offer a wider range of services to its customers, particularly in the area of destination weddings. In 2012, Sunwing Travel Group acquired the
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
-based tour operator Vacation Express for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition was the group's entrance to the US market. In 2015, Sunwing Group announced that affiliate, Blue Diamond Resorts, would open a 600-room resort in Jamaica. Later that year, the company began construction on $400 million resort in
Antigua Antigua ( ; ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the local population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the most populous island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua ...
with 500 rooms.


Integration with WestJet Group (2023-Present)

Sunwing Travel Group became a subsidiary of the WestJet Group on May 1, 2023, following an acquisition announced in March 2022. This merger aimed to: As of February 13, 2024, Sunwing continues to operate as a separate brand and entity within the WestJet Group. However, full integration of Sunwing Airlines into WestJet's core operations is expected by May 2025. Sunwing Vacations will maintain its current branding throughout the integration process under the Sunwing Vacations Group umbrella. On May 14, 2024, the Sunwing Travel Group announced the launch of WestJet Vacations Quebec (''Vacances WestJet Quebec''), a new vacation provider specifically catering to Quebec residents. This offering focuses on all-inclusive getaways to 20 popular sun destinations across the Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico. The provider will offer packages from three airports in Quebec:
Montréal–Trudeau International Airport Montréal–Trudeau International Airport () or Montréal–Trudeau, formerly known and still commonly referred to as Montréal–Dorval International Airport (''Aéroport international Montréal-Dorval''), is an international airport in Dor ...
, Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport and CFB Bagotville.


Subsidiaries


Current


Former


References

{{Reflist Privately held companies of Canada Canadian companies established in 2002 Holding companies established in 2002 Transport companies established in 2002 Airline holding companies of Canada Travel and holiday companies of Canada Companies based in Etobicoke 2002 establishments in Ontario WestJet