DER Touristik creates European network of travel experts
Antitrust authorities approve acquisition of Kuoni tour operator activities
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Frankfurt/Zürich (ots)
- All European tour operators, travel agencies and online portals
of Kuoni transferred to REWE Group
- DER Touristik has operations in 14 European countries
- Individuality and diversity are the Group's strengthsDER Touristik, the travel division of the REWE Group, is reorganising itself and is set to assume a leading role in the European travel market. As the Frankfurt-based travel group has announced, the EU's and Switzerland's competition authorities have approved, without conditions, the acquisition of the entire European tour operator and travel sales business of the Swiss tourism group Kuoni Travel Holding Ltd. (Zürich). The acquisition announced by the REWE Group on 22 June 2015 has now been completed.
The expanded DER Touristik will have combined revenue of 7 billion euros and 7.7 million customers, with operations in the tour operator and travel sales business in 14 European countries. The transaction covers all tour operators, specialists, travel agencies and online portals in the markets of Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Benelux as well as Scandinavia/Finland - where it also includes the airline Novair and the Playitas sports resort in Fuerteventura.
In terms of structure and travel offering, DER Touristik has adopted its own particular style. "Travel requirements are as individual as the people who travel. That's why we believe in diversity", says Sören Hartmann, CEO of DER Touristik Group, rejecting the idea of merging the national entities into a single company. The national entities and brands will continue to exist.
"We will create a European affiliation of very strong tourism companies. Sales and tour operators - as well as the specialist brands - will remain national. If you want to meet individual travel requirements, you have to be close to the customer", emphasises Sören Hartmann. Consumers should also benefit from this merger: "Being a large group gives us the leverage to achieve even more with regard to quality and terms. That will be good for our customers", says Hartmann.
Background
DER Touristik, which is part of the REWE Group, generates revenue of 7 billion euros and has 9,400 employees (2014), making it one of the leading travel groups in Europe. 7.7 million customers from 14 European countries use the tour operators of DER Touristik each year to travel to 179 destination countries around the world. The tour operators in the volume business include the following brands: ITS, Jahn Reisen, Travelix, Dertour, Meier's Weltreisen and ADAC Reisen (Germany), Kuoni (Switzerland and UK), Helvetic Tours (Switzerland) and Apollo (Scandinavia and Finland). In Austria and East European countries (Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary), DER Touristik is represented by its own tour operators and through alliances (ITS Billa, Jahn Reisen, Dertour, Meier's Weltreisen, Transair) as well as through its majority interest in Exim Holding (Exim Tours, Kartago Tours).
In addition, there are almost 30 specialists: in Germany: Camperboerse.de, Clevertours and prijsvrij.nl, in Switzerland: Manta Reisen, Kontiki, Railtour, Frantour, Kuoni Cruises, Asia 365, Adria 365, Private Safaris, Cotravel, Dorado Latin Tours, Pink Cloud, ACS Reisen and lastminute.ch; in Scandinavia: Lime Travel, Golf Plaisir, Out of Bounds Golfresor and Krone Golf Tours; in the UK: Carrier, Kirker, CV Vilas and Voyages Jules Verne; and in the Benelux countries: Koning Aap, Your Way 2 Go, Shoestring and Entdeck-die-welt.de.
In travel sales, DER Touristik is the market leader in the whole of Germany, with 2,100 sales agencies, the online travel portal der.com and numerous online tour operator portals. They include the sales channels DER Reisebüro, the Derpart franchise system as well as the organisation of medium-sized owner-managed travel agencies under the umbrella of DER Touristik Partner-Service (DTPS). In addition, the business travel division FCm Travel Solutions offers medium-sized companies and international corporations comprehensive business travel management services. DER Touristik also has a dense network of sales outlets in Switzerland, with 82 travel agencies (Kuoni, Helvetic Tours, Rewi Reisen and Premium Specialists), as well as in the UK (Kuoni Stores). Furthermore, the Swedish charter airline Novair and 48 hotels trading under the Club Calimera, PrimaSol, lti Hotel and Playitas (sports resort in Fuerteventura) brands are also part of the Group.
More information at www.dertouristik.com.
Contact:
Tobias Jüngert
Telephone: +49 69 9588 1600