DERTOUR Group takes over Hotelplan Group, with the exception of Interhome

DERTOUR Group acquires the entire Hotelplan Group from Migros, with the exception of Interhome, thereby strengthening its presence as a travel group in Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Germany. The DERTOUR Group is already represented in 16 countries with over 130 companies and more than 10,000 employees. The long-established brands of the Hotelplan Group, an international travel group specialising in leisure and business travel, are to consistently further strengthen the tourism diversity and expertise of the DERTOUR Group. The takeover will take place as soon as possible – subject to the approval of the relevant antitrust authorities. The parties have agreed not to disclose the terms of the transaction.

The acquisition includes four of the five business units of Hotelplan Group and covers the travel retail and tour operating business in Switzerland, Germany and the United Kingdom. The holiday home specialist Interhome, which is being taken over by the HomeToGo Group, is excluded.

Dr Ingo Burmester, CEO Central Europe and member of the Executive Board of DERTOUR Group, comments on the takeover: “We are delighted to take over the Hotelplan Group with its strong collection of travel brands and lead them to further growth in our tourism network, with clear advantages for employees, guests and partners. As the tourism division of the cooperatively organised REWE Group, we are an attractive employer, and we already share common values with Hotelplan Group. These include excellent customer experience, personalised advice and sustainability.” 

Michel Gruber, Chairman of the Hotelplan Group Board of Directors and Head of the Retail Department at the Federation of Migros Cooperatives, commented: “We are delighted to have found a highly renowned new owner in DERTOUR Group. DERTOUR is ideally placed to continue the successful development of the Hotelplan Group brands.”

Laura Meyer, CEO of Hotelplan Group, adds: “We are looking forward to this new chapter with DERTOUR Group as the new owner of our travel retail and tour operating business in Switzerland, Germany, and the United Kingdom. DERTOUR Group shares our passion for travel and brings exciting opportunities for our company and our customers – and they value our dedicated and talented teams.”

Leif Vase Larsen, CEO International and member of the Executive Board of DERTOUR Group emphasises: “We have always relied on strong brands in our local markets, which we are successfully developing as a group. We were already able to demonstrate this with the acquisition of the Kuoni travel business in 2015, whose brands have since enjoyed significant growth.”  

Brands and booking channels unchanged

The takeover guarantees continuity for guests and sales partners: all booked holidays and business trips will be carried out as planned. The popular brands within the Hotelplan Group will continue to operate as usual and can be reached via the usual service contacts and booking channels.

The DERTOUR Group intends to successfully develop the business areas of Hotelplan. The employees will be transferred accordingly upon completion of the acquisition. “Employees are at the centre of our Group strategy. The competent and committed colleagues of the Hotelplan Group are crucial for the growth we are aiming for, and we warmly welcome them to the DERTOUR Group,” emphasises Burmester.

As a member of the international DERTOUR Group, Hotelplan will have access to a large, global partner network. In addition, system and production advantages can be realised through the tourism group alliance, which will enable even more attractive offers. “In future, guests will benefit from an even wider range of offers,” explains Burmester.

Realising shared benefits

With the acquisition of Hotelplan, DERTOUR Group is taking the next long-term growth step and intends to benefit more from economies of scale in the tour operator business in future. Among other things, this will be based on a joint technological platform in the volume tour operator business. “We have in-depth tourism expertise and are therefore an ideal partner for the Hotelplan tour operator brands,” explains Larsen. “In tourism today, IT systems for reservations, bookings, purchasing and production are key success factors. We have invested heavily in this area in recent years and are thus providing the answer to one of the biggest challenges facing the tourism industry. The major tour operator brands in the Hotelplan Group will also benefit from our scalable platform in future. At the same time, we are benefiting from the strategic investments in digital solutions made by the Hotelplan Group.”  

In addition to the further development of the volume business, the Hotelplan brands for special tours will in future have access to the DERTOUR Group’s cross-national specialist organisation, which is tailored to the needs of smaller specialist tour operators and coordinates growth initiatives in this segment with the respective country units.

The DERTOUR Group thus sees the takeover as a long-term investment in the Swiss, UK and German tourism business that will bring significant benefits to both sides. “My message is clear,” emphasises Burmester. “Today is a good day for employees, guests and partners. The move creates continuity and further strengthens the Hotelplan Group’s popular brands and we’re looking forward to the opportunity it presents.”