The acquisition of Vacalians Group by the Permira V Fund marks a major turning point for the European outdoor hospitality industry. This transaction facilitates the exit of 21 Centrale Partners, the group’s co-founder and previous majority shareholder. While the management team and historical partners such as Promeo and Batipart remain involved in the capital, the entry of Permira provides the group with the financial firepower of a multi-billion euro international vehicle. The strategic rationale for the deal is to capitalize on the rapid consolidation of the European campsite market. Having recently launched the Tohapi brand and integrated Canvas Holidays, Vacalians is positioned as a primary platform for further industrial scale-up. The partnership is designed to transform the French champion into a truly global leisure operator, utilizing Permira’s extensive network to identify new site acquisitions and distribution channels across the continent. This investment highlights the increasing attractiveness of the "glamping" and mobile-home segments, which offer superior margins and higher barriers to entry than traditional camping. The deal reflects a broader trend of institutional capital entering the leisure facilities sector to professionalize management and optimize occupancy rates through advanced digital distribution platforms.

VACANCESELECT, which reported an EBITDA margin of LOGIN in 2014, is valued in this transaction at an EV/EBITDA multiple of LOGIN, representing a LOGIN to the average currently observed in the Retail & Consumer sector (11.5x).

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