Leisure Invest, owner of Euro Relais and others, acquired the shares of Belvilla Vakantiehuizen on 1 January 2007. Within the Leisure Invest group, the two companies, both holiday accommodation rental companies, will continue operating under the same brand names, but will profit from the synergy effects of online activities, multi-channel marketing, purchasing and international sales.

Over the past six years, Euro Relais has grown significantly, mostly due to increased online rentals of holiday accommodations, becoming a trendsetter in the field. Euro Relais ranks among the top online travel companies in Europe, with around 80% of bookings made online.

Belvilla and Euro Relais are also complementary from a regional perspective: Belvilla is very strongly represented in Germany, Austria and Italy, while Euro Relais is the No. 1 provider of distinctive holiday accommodations in the Benelux, combined with a very strong position in France.

Together, the two companies offer more than 12,000 holiday accommodations in seventeen European countries. A total of more than 500,000 holidaymakers have booked a holiday home with the two organisations. The total expected turnover for the two organisations in 2007 is to be around 58 million euros.

This takeover has enabled the Leisure Invest group to secure a firm footing among the top 10 providers of holiday accommodations in Europe. The goal for the future is to continue growing and to concentrate even more strongly on offering unique and distinctive holiday accommodations in Europe.

Advantages for consumers and partners

Both sales partners and homeowners will profit from this union, as a result of a more complete portfolio of products combined with a considerably larger customer reach.

Both organisations are investing significantly in their websites using the latest technologies, thereby contributing to establishing the Internet standards of tomorrow. “This takeover means a considerable strengthening of the market position of both brands, not only because the brands are complementary, but first and foremost because substantial scale advantages can be achieved. For homeowners, this means an even higher average occupancy rate, while consumers will continue to profit from strong brands, each with its own specialisation, and at the best price to quality ratio," states a spokesperson for Leisure Invest.

Belvilla and Euro Relais will continue serving the market as independent organisations.

About Euro Relais

Euro Relais has been the home of holiday homes since 1980 and is an international tour operator that offers holidays in a wide range of distinctive, high-quality holiday homes throughout Europe. The Euro Relais portfolio ranges from castles to country houses, farms to windmills, and villas to chalets. What makes the Euro Relais approach so unique is that it uses specific holiday themes, such as With Pool, City Trips, Close to Water, Country Houses and Castles, Group Holidays and Very Unusual. Thanks to a fully online booking system at www.eurorelais.nl, holidaymakers can search for and book their perfect holiday home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

About Belvilla

Belvilla was established nearly 20 years ago as a traditional direct seller and, every year, offers more than 150,000 customers a holiday in one of its 4,500 winter and summer holiday accommodations in 11 European countries.

Belvilla has grown into an ultra-modern, web-based organisation that operates a sophisticated website, where more than 65 percent of bookings are made. At www.belvilla.nl, holidaymakers will find the entire portfolio of accommodations, with lots of pictures, an easy booking procedure, real-time availability and always excellent alternatives.

About the @Leisure Group

The @Leisure Group is one of the biggest players in the European market for accommodation rentals, including holiday homes, holiday parks and hotels. The @Leisure Group engages in a variety of online activities that include acting as a 'tour operator', reseller (aggregator) and online marketplace (enabler). The @Leisure Group serves as a tour operator in the holiday home rental sector through its consumer brands Belvilla, Ardennes Relais, Jules Villas and CityTrips-europe. The holding company manages the rental of around 20,000 holiday homes in 20 European countries. As an aggregator, the @Leisure Group offers an even wider selection of accommodations to several tour operators under the Euro Relais and Casamundo brands. It also operates advertising models as an enabler. A staff of around 160 individuals works in the offices in Heerhugowaard, Eindhoven, Hamburg, Cologne, Kitzbühel and Ibiza. In 2009, 700,000 holidaymakers of more than 50 different nationalities booked their holiday with one of these brands. A booking turnover of more than €105 million was achieved that year.

Note to editors (not for publication):

For more information and/or high resolution images, please contact:

Public Relations, Ellen Oude Grotebevelsborg, by phone at +31 (0)40-216 36 12 or e-mail to Ellen.OudeGrotebevelsborg@leisure-group.eu.

Belgium: Glenaki, Kristien Basting or Birgit Defoort by phone at +31 (0)50-614200 or by e-mail to birgit@glenaki.com or kristien@glenaki.com.