ICC gives fans touring boost

Fans will have high-class tourist packages available to support teams abroad © Getty Images

Buy this photo

The International Cricket Council has entered into an agreement with Gullivers Sports Travel, which will trade under the business name Cricket Logistics, to act as its exclusive licensee in the provision of official travel and tours services for its events.

The agreement is effective immediately and is an eight-year deal to cover all ICC events through to, and including, the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015.

ICC general manager – commercial, Campbell Jamieson said: “During the tender process, we received several attractive proposals but Gullivers was the stand-out candidate.

“Gullivers has a proven track record in specialist sports event-related travel and also offered a compelling royalty structure with high levels of financial security for the ICC,” he said.

“Its successful involvement in previous ICC events, including three ICC cricket World Cups, the ICC Champions Trophy in 2004 and the ICC World Twenty20 2007, as well as major events in other sports such as rugby and soccer, means we are entirely confident in its ability to deliver the best possible service to cricket fans around the world.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Cricket Logistics will work with the ICC by developing and marketing attractive domestic and international travel and tour packages for all ICC events and also by managing the operational travel requirements of teams and officials attending those events.

It is the first time the ICC has made an appointment of this length in the area of travel and tour services, with it previously being made on an event-by-event basis.

“By entering into a longer-term agreement I think it will enable us to focus on a long-term marketing plan and growth strategy in this area,” added Jamieson.

“We want to make sure cricket fans from around the world have direct access to our events and therefore tour and travel packages will continue to be offered to suit a range of tastes and budgets.”

David Hall, director of Gullivers Sports Travel, said: “We are really very excited to be going into partnership with the ICC. Cricket is a sport that is growing in popularity around the world and more and more people are keen to travel and support their team. Our passion is about making sure those fans can get the sort of wonderful experience that will stay with them forever.

“With our expertise in arranging tour packages, coupled with the ICC’s great cricket events, we feel this is the ideal combination for cricket fans and we are looking forward to the challenge.”