On Thursday, February 13th, 2025, the DERTOUR Group announced its acquisition of the entire Hotelplan Group from Migros, with the exception of Interhome, in a move to strengthen its presence as a travel group in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Germany. The DERTOUR Group is already a major player in the industry, with a presence in 16 countries and over 130 companies, employing over 10,000 people. This acquisition of the long-established brands of the Hotelplan Group, an international travel group specializing in leisure and business travel, will further expand the tourism diversity and expertise of the DERTOUR Group.
The acquisition includes four of the five business units of the Hotelplan Group, covering travel retail and tour operating business in Switzerland, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The holiday home specialist Interhome will be excluded as it is being taken over by the HomeToGo Group. The takeover is subject to the approval of relevant antitrust authorities and the parties have agreed to not disclose the terms of the transaction.
Dr. Ingo Burmester, CEO Central Europe and member of the Executive Board of DERTOUR Group, expressed excitement about the acquisition, stating, “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 organized REWE Group, we are an attractive employer, and we already share common values with Hotelplan Group. These include excellent customer experience, personalized 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, also commented on the acquisition, stating, “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, added, “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, emphasized, “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.”
The acquisition will not affect the brands and booking channels of the Hotelplan Group, ensuring continuity for guests and sales partners. All booked holidays and business trips will be carried out as planned and the popular brands within the Hotelplan Group will continue to operate as usual. The DERTOUR Group intends to successfully develop the business areas of Hotelplan, with employees being transferred accordingly upon completion of the acquisition. Burmester emphasized that employees are at the center of the Group’s strategy and warmly welcomed them to the DERTOUR Group.
As a member of the international DERTOUR Group, Hotelplan will have access to a large, global partner network and will be able to realize system and production advantages through the tourism group alliance, resulting in even more attractive offers for guests. Larsen stated, “In the future, guests will benefit from an even wider range of offers.”
The acquisition is seen by the DERTOUR Group as a long-term investment in the Swiss, UK, and German tourism business, bringing significant benefits to both sides. Burmester’s message was clear, stating, “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 opportunities it presents.”
For media inquiries, please contact Corporate Communications at +49 69 9588-8000 or via email at presse@dertour.com. Further information about the DERTOUR Group can be found on www.dertour-group.com.
The DERTOUR Group, based in Cologne, is the travel division of the REWE Group and one of the leading travel groups in Europe. It employs over 10,000 people in 16 European countries, with over 130 companies. Every year, millions of guests travel with one of its tour operators or specialists, including DERTOUR, ITS, Meiers Weltreisen, Kuoni, Helvetic Tours, and more. The Hotelplan Group is an international travel group based in Glattbrugg, Switzerland, with branches, local service offices, and business travel centers in 20 countries. Its business units include Hotelplan Suisse, Hotelplan UK, and the Volume Tour Operating division, which offers holiday
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