Helloworld FY26 slides: EBITDA rises 8% despite Middle East disruption

Helloworld Travel Limited reported an 8.4% increase in underlying EBITDA to $60.2 million for fiscal year 2026, despite disruptions caused by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The Australia and New Zealand-based travel firm recorded a 4.1% year-over-year increase in total transaction value (TTV), reaching $4.0 billion. Revenue growth was 8.1% to $208.5 million, with revenue and EBITDA margins improving to 5.1% and 28.9%, respectively.

However, profit after tax declined slightly by 0.5% to $30.2 million, and earnings per share fell by 1.1% to 18.5 cents. The company declared a 5.0 cents per share, fully franked, final dividend, down from 6.0 cents in the previous year, totaling 10.0 cents per share for the year. CEO Andrew Burnes acknowledged the impact of the Middle East conflict, which led to significant refund activity, but stated that the company could have achieved better results without the disruption.

Helloworld's strategic acquisitions, including Mobile Travel Agents, Gilpin Corporate Travel, Brighton Travelworld, and a stake in Hunter Travel Group, have bolstered its market position. These moves generated a fair value gain of $20.3 million and strengthened the company's corporate travel presence. The wholesale division, in particular, demonstrated strong growth, with VIVA Holidays cruise sales growing 12.3% in dedicated cruise brands.