Dertour acquisition of Hotelplan delayed by Swiss Competition Commission

The acquisition of the Swiss-owned Hotelplan Group by Dertour will be delayed by an investigation by the Swiss Competition Commission.

The Commission (COMCO) announced an “in-depth” investigation into the takeover of Hotelplan by the German-based Dertour Group and its parent company Rewe on May 27.

COMCO said it was opening a ‘Phase 2’ competition investigation into the impact if the acquisition after initial inquiries highlighted concerns that it would give Dertour a “dominant market position,” in Switzerland as the country’s largest tour operator.

In a statement, COMCO said: “The in-depth review aims to clarify, among other things, whether travellers in Switzerland have sufficient alternatives available to them, such as self-booking directly with hotels and airlines or via online platforms, to counteract potentially rising prices.

“It will also examine the impact of digital travel offerings on current and potential competition in the markets.”

The acquisition of Hotelplan from long-standing owner Migros, the leading Swiss retail cooperative, was announced in February.

The deal, for an undisclosed amount, will see Dertour 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 Dertour and HomeToGo takeover deals were completed separately, but both will be delayed by the competition inquiry.

HomeToGo confirmed in a statement: “The review by COMCO is expected to delay the overall closing, including HomeToGo’s acquisition of Interhome.

The transaction cannot close until the regulatory approval required by COMCO for the Dertour Group transaction has been received.”

However, it said: “The Company has received all relevant regulatory approvals already in March 2025. HomeToGo expects to close the acquisition [at the] latest within the next four months.”

Travel Weekly noted at the time of the acquisition that the deal remained subject to regulatory approval, “with any competition concerns most likely to arise in Switzerland”.

Hotelplan’s mass market tour operator businesses in Switzerland and Germany brought in two thirds (65%) of the revenue of the businesses acquired by Dertour in 2023, with Dertour already a market leader Switzerland.

More: Comment: Dertour seals a cooperative deal