Teletext Holidays has rubbished Icelolly.com ‘takeover’ bid

Teletext Holidays has rubbished claims by marketing portal Icelolly.com that it is “actively pursuing” a takeover of the group. Icelolly.com put out a statement yesterday to clients as well as the press that said: ““We are actively pursuing taking over Teletext. It has now become an outdated service and we would be looking to bring it up…

Teletext Holidays has rubbished claims by marketing portal Icelolly.com that it is “actively pursuing” a takeover of the group.

Icelolly.com put out a statement yesterday to clients as well as the press that said: ““We are actively pursuing taking over Teletext. It has now become an outdated service and we would be looking to bring it up to date and make it successful once again.”

Les Etienne, co-owner of Icelolly, which also owns travel agency Sunsave, admitted the company had yet to put in an official bid for the company.

But she maintained: “It is a serious bid; it’s something we have spoken about for a few years and we are now in a position to make an offer.”

Mike Stewart, managing director of Teletext, which is owned by the Daily Mail & General Trust, said there had been no contact by Icelolly.com.

He added: “I am surprised that such an obviously false statement was issued and concerned that any professional management team would allow this to happen.”

Teletext Holidays has yet to decide whether it will switch off its analogue travel service in January 2010, instead of 2012, but has announced the shut down of its news and information services from the start of next year.

Teletext Holidays managing director Victoria Sanders said she had received concerned calls from most of her clients, who had been sent the statement. She added that any serious bid would have been treated in a confidential manner and branded the statement a public relations exercise.

More information:

* Teletext Holidays to launch online price index (Travel Weekly, July 24)

* Teletext analague switch-off sparks search for new sales channels (Travel Weekly, July 23)