Having helped shape tourism of yesterday and today, the baby-boomer generation is gradually edging toward retirement.
This postwar generation, which witnessed the explosive growth of travel, built thousands of clubs and businesses and now accounts for about 22% of the French population.
At Selectour, leaders aged 60 and above make up 25% of the workforce, and more importantly, they want to sell. With retirement comes the question of what lies ahead for their enterprises.
“François-Xavier (de Bouärd, ed.) turned 70 this summer, and he welcomed his ninth grandchild. The question of the company’s capital future was now on the table.
There were two options. The first was that I take over Secrets de Voyages on my own, or that I partner with someone.
On a personal level, I favored a partnership, provided I could sense a real alignment with potential buyers, share values—both human and professional—and a common vision.
We had two meetings, one with Contrastes and another with another organization“, recounts Nathalie Bueno, chief executive officer of Secrets de Voyages.
This postwar generation, which witnessed the explosive growth of travel, built thousands of clubs and businesses and now accounts for about 22% of the French population.
At Selectour, leaders aged 60 and above make up 25% of the workforce, and more importantly, they want to sell. With retirement comes the question of what lies ahead for their enterprises.
“François-Xavier (de Bouärd, ed.) turned 70 this summer, and he welcomed his ninth grandchild. The question of the company’s capital future was now on the table.
There were two options. The first was that I take over Secrets de Voyages on my own, or that I partner with someone.
On a personal level, I favored a partnership, provided I could sense a real alignment with potential buyers, share values—both human and professional—and a common vision.
We had two meetings, one with Contrastes and another with another organization“, recounts Nathalie Bueno, chief executive officer of Secrets de Voyages.
Secrets de Voyages and Contrastes: it all started with a word whispered by… a receptive operator!
In both personal and professional life, every story or twist can be sparked by a single encounter. This is the case with the purchase of François-Xavier de Bouärd’s shares, the president of Secrets de Voyages.A decade after taking over the tour operator, the leader was seeking an exit route to enjoy a well-deserved entrepreneurial retirement, following a long and fruitful career.
And the proposal came through an unexpected channel—via a supplier.
“Our Asia-based receptive partner, who also collaborates with Contrastes, met the leaders a few weeks ago.
They told him that the group wanted to broaden its influence a bit. They are well established in the south of France, but the segment of very high-contribution clients is largely centered in Paris.
They were looking for a company with a strong reputation, positioned in ultra-luxury, and with autonomous leadership. So our receptive partner suggested Secrets de Voyages“, explains the CEO with a smile.
Then, after a discussion, the obvious path became clear. The future of the concierge business would follow in the footsteps of Contrastes, a company generating 7 million euros in revenue across diverse areas such as tailor-made travel, golf-focused stays, and event organization.
Secrets de Voyages: “we were still quite alone in our corner”
This rapprochement should not eclipse Secrets de Voyages; it should elevate it.
“It’s fantastic news, because it means I will never be alone again, and that’s wonderful.
Not that I was really alone, as François-Xavier was there, and this entrepreneurial venture has been an extraordinary opportunity. Yet, even with two people at the helm, we were still operating in isolation.
If we had the freedom to act and the agility of a small organization, the trade-off was that we were limited by our financial and human resources.
To move to the next level, there were not fifty options. We needed to equip ourselves with additional means and competencies.
Since Contrastes is multidisciplinary, we will be able to meet all the demands of our clientele“, says Nathalie Bueno, delighted to remain in her role after the share purchase.
The small team will now be able to respond to all the wishes of its travelers, whether they are on the far side of the world, on a golf green, or organizing a team meeting in southern France, and also beyond.
To read: The luxury, Secrets de Voyages edition
It remains to be seen how this complementarity will work on a daily basis.
“This complementarity is, to me, a breath of fresh air. A company capable of renewing itself, expanding its scope, and growing the skills and knowledge of its members can only be a win for all involved.
For the coming years, we want to truly enjoy our time within Secrets de Voyages“, Nathalie Bueno tells us.
“It’s fantastic news, because it means I will never be alone again, and that’s wonderful.
Not that I was really alone, as François-Xavier was there, and this entrepreneurial venture has been an extraordinary opportunity. Yet, even with two people at the helm, we were still operating in isolation.
If we had the freedom to act and the agility of a small organization, the trade-off was that we were limited by our financial and human resources.
To move to the next level, there were not fifty options. We needed to equip ourselves with additional means and competencies.
Since Contrastes is multidisciplinary, we will be able to meet all the demands of our clientele“, says Nathalie Bueno, delighted to remain in her role after the share purchase.
The small team will now be able to respond to all the wishes of its travelers, whether they are on the far side of the world, on a golf green, or organizing a team meeting in southern France, and also beyond.
To read: The luxury, Secrets de Voyages edition
It remains to be seen how this complementarity will work on a daily basis.
“This complementarity is, to me, a breath of fresh air. A company capable of renewing itself, expanding its scope, and growing the skills and knowledge of its members can only be a win for all involved.
For the coming years, we want to truly enjoy our time within Secrets de Voyages“, Nathalie Bueno tells us.
Secrets de Voyages: expanding its client base, chartering, and launching new brochures
The company remains fully autonomous and becomes one of the group’s strong brands.
“We enjoy a modest reputation, at least in B2B. Moreover, our model is mixed, unlike Contrastes, which operates only B2C.
Our ambition is to restart growth in the Paris region and to expand our client base there. Having a larger team to lean on will allow us to go on the offensive.
I want to publish magazines and brochures tailored for our clients, including a publication dedicated to women, another on luxury train cruises and on exceptional ships we could charter. Fifty percent of our sales happen outside brochures, so a good portion starts from a clean page.
Conversely, technologically, we have a bit of an advance and also a strong ground contracting with many hotels. We will therefore assist Olivier de Nicola and Jean-François Fréméry’s teams on these points, while they will help us with air travel and other internal applications.
The idea is to combine the best of both worlds“, elaborates Nathalie Bueno.
The chief executive runs a team of five, serving nearly 700 clients per year.
Secrets de Voyages defines itself as a concierge service, guiding its travelers in every detail, able to open doors to the finest Swiss watch maisons, to deliver highly specific sun creams by air, or to deploy a banner on a Venice bridge for a marriage proposal.
“We enjoy a modest reputation, at least in B2B. Moreover, our model is mixed, unlike Contrastes, which operates only B2C.
Our ambition is to restart growth in the Paris region and to expand our client base there. Having a larger team to lean on will allow us to go on the offensive.
I want to publish magazines and brochures tailored for our clients, including a publication dedicated to women, another on luxury train cruises and on exceptional ships we could charter. Fifty percent of our sales happen outside brochures, so a good portion starts from a clean page.
Conversely, technologically, we have a bit of an advance and also a strong ground contracting with many hotels. We will therefore assist Olivier de Nicola and Jean-François Fréméry’s teams on these points, while they will help us with air travel and other internal applications.
The idea is to combine the best of both worlds“, elaborates Nathalie Bueno.
The chief executive runs a team of five, serving nearly 700 clients per year.
Secrets de Voyages defines itself as a concierge service, guiding its travelers in every detail, able to open doors to the finest Swiss watch maisons, to deliver highly specific sun creams by air, or to deploy a banner on a Venice bridge for a marriage proposal.
