Rewe’s acquisition of Migros travel business Hotelplan makes sense, says Ian Taylor
German-based Dertour’s acquisition of Hotelplan from long-time owner Migros of Switzerland appears a sensible outcome to the sales process launched last February.
Hotelplan will go from being a subsidiary of the leading Swiss retail cooperative Migros to ownership by German retail cooperative Rewe, parent of Dertour, and join a larger travel business.
Dertour Group chief executive for Central Europe Ingo Burmester noted: “We already share common values.”
The deal, for an undisclosed sum, remains subject to regulatory approval – with any competition concerns most likely to arise in Switzerland – and employees will transfer upon its completion.
Dertour will acquire Hotelplan’s travel retail and tour operator businesses in Switzerland, Germany and the UK, with holiday rental business Interhome sold separately to Berlin-based accommodation platform HomeToGo.
The Hotelplan brands – which in the UK comprise Inghams, Inntravel, Santa’s Lapland and Explore Worldwide – “will continue to operate as usual”, according to Dertour, which noted it “intends to benefit from economies of scale . . . based on a joint technological platform in the volume tour operator business”.
Francis Torrilla, Dertour UK interim chief executive, confirmed: “We’re committed to retaining all the brands and supporting them.”
They will join not only Kuoni and its 27 retail outlets in the UK but also Carrier, CV Villas, Journey Latin America, Jules Verne, Kirker and Solmar Villas.
But it’s Hotelplan’s volume (mass market) tour operator business in Germany and Switzerland which comprises more than half the value of Dertour’s acquisition.
Hotelplan reported turnover of CHF1.8 billion Swiss francs (£1.57 billion) in the 12 months to October 2024, of which Interhome – not part of the Dertour deal – contributed CHF390 million.
Almost two thirds (65%) of the remaining revenue (CHF915 million or £806 million) were generated by its volume tour operators in Switzerland and Germany. Hotelplan UK reported £212 million in turnover.
Cologne-based Dertour generated tour operator sales worth €37 billion and turnover for Rewe of €6.1 billion in 2023 – the last full year for which results are available – out of total revenue of €92 billion, two thirds of it from Rewe’s retail division in Germany. Rewe reported a pre-tax profit of €1.6 billion.
Dertour comprises tour operators, retail agencies, franchise and online agencies in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Finland, France and the Benelux countries as well as the UK.
Its businesses include a leading tour operator in the Nordic countries (Apollo), one of Switzerland’s market leaders and leading tour operators in Germany as well as the largest network of agents.
The group also has a strong presence in Eastern Europe, plus 71 destination management companies and 13 hotel and resort brands.
Dertour was founded as Deutsches Reiseburo in Berlin in 1917.
Wholly owned by Rewe since 2000, it was previously owned by Germany’s state railway Deutsche Bahn. The group acquired Kuoni in 2015.