Helloworld Travel reported an 8.4% rise in underlying EBITDA to $60.2 million for fiscal year 2026, as revenue grew 8.1% to $208.5 million despite Middle East disruptions that triggered approximately $200 million in customer refunds during the June quarter.
Total transaction value increased 4.1% year-over-year to $4.0 billion, though growth slowed to 3.3% in the final quarter as regional conflicts weighed on demand. The company’s EBITDA margin edged up to 28.9% from 28.8%, while profit after tax declined 0.5% to $30.2 million and earnings per share fell 1.1% to 18.5 cents.
Chief Executive Andrew Burnes highlighted resilience in travel demand, noting that total transaction value reached just under AUD 4 billion despite the challenges. "I do not believe that travel is a discretionary part of the household budget. I think it is likely a non-discretionary part of it, and the people are traveling," he said. The company’s wholesale and cruise segments showed particular strength, with wholesale TTV in Australia up 15.6% and cruise sales rising 12.3%.
The Middle East disruptions disrupted fourth-quarter momentum, with TTV growth decelerating from 11.9% in the first three months to 3.3% in the final quarter. Helloworld attributed the impact to regional conflicts, which also drove customer refunds during the period.
Financial positioning remained stable, with net operating cash flows from continuing operations improving to $23.3 million from a net outflow of $12.5 million in the prior year. Investing activities consumed $40.0 million, primarily driven by acquisitions including a full consolidation of Mobile Travel Agents and the purchase of Gilpin Corporate Travel for $7.5 million. Webjet Group’s stake rose to 20.29%, though associated fair value losses totaled $34.3 million. Total borrowings increased to $35.0 million via a Citibank debt facility, while cash and cash equivalents stood at $84.8 million at year-end.
The company declared a final dividend of 5.0 cents per share, fully franked, bringing the full-year total to 10.0 cents per share, down from 6.0 cents in the prior year. Shareholders approved the inaugural naming rights for the new Helloworld Stadium in Penrith, New South Wales, with an opening scheduled for early 2027. The board is expected to provide formal FY27 guidance at the October 2026 Annual General Meeting.
