MEDIA RELEASE: 29 October 2026
Orbit World Travel has today announced the acquisition of Mystro Management Limited, a strategic move that further strengthens its presence as a leading corporate travel provider and expands the organisation’s national footprint.
Mystro, widely known in the industry as Orbit Wellington, has been owned and operated by Paul and Adrienne Rennie since 1987, and has operated separately under a brand licensing agreement with Orbit for many years.
The acquisition changes the ownership of the Wellington operation, bringing its people, clients and supplier relationships under Orbit World Travel.
The full shareholder acquisition follows Orbit’s decision earlier this year to unify its four independently owned offices across six locations in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Nelson, Dunedin and Christchurch under a national operating model.
“Anyone who knows me knows I’ve never believed in hanging around longer than I should,” says Rennie. “We’ve had a good run but the time felt right.
“We have confidence in the direction Orbit is taking nationally and the growth opportunities ahead of it. It needs new energy and investment to take it to the next level, and we believe Anita and the new board, together with the team, are the right people to do that.”
Opened as a leisure travel business in 1987, by 1995 the business was the biggest Concord booker in the Southern Hemisphere with 18 staff.
In 1998, Paul and House of Travel founder Chris Paulsen hatched a business plan to grow corporate travel in the Wellington market. When House of Travel bought AA Travel, Rennie and his team took over the AA Travel corporate arm in Wellington. Over the years Orbit Wellington grew to become a major, well respected corporate player nationally.
Next year the business will celebrate 40 years in operation, having navigated significant challenges and changes. Rennie remembers the Ansett collapse and Global Financial Crisis 2008 as key moments, but the Covid-19 pandemic was the most significant.
“You’re only ever as successful as the people you surround yourself with, and we’ve had a good team behind us over the years. Whatever success we’ve had is down to them,” says Rennie.
The acquisition speaks to Orbit’s continued investment in the corporate travel market and its confidence in the future of the industry as New Zealand’s largest independently owned TMC.
“Every successful travel business is built on relationships,” says Orbit CEO Anita Hawthorne.
“Paul, Adrienne and the team have spent years earning the trust of their clients and suppliers, and there is a responsibility that comes with taking custodianship of that. We’re proud to have been given that opportunity.
“This is a strong signal of our intent in market. We’re not interested in growth for growth’s sake. We saw a business that shares our values and has built something worth backing for the long term.”
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