Informe semanal de noticias del mercado alemán de la Oficina de Turismo de Tenerife en Fráncfort
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- Tour Operator News
Alltours targets 20% growth to two million customers: German tour operator Alltours aims to profit from the Thomas Cook insolvency by expanding its hotel portfolio by 30% as it targets a high 20% rise to more than two million customers next year, according to a report published by the fvw.
- Market News
DER Touristik has failed to take over Thomas Cook’s 360 franchise travel agencies in Germany, leaving the way free for leading agency network RTK to snap up the franchise organisation instead. DER Touristik, now Germany’s second-largest tourism group following the collapse of Thomas Cook, announced two weeks ago that it was set to buy the insolvent group’s German franchise agencies, which trade under the Holiday Land and Thomas Cook brands, as well as the Sentido hotel brand as FVW reported.
Germans Antitrust office gives today green light to takeovers:Anex Tour is allowed to take over Öger and Bucher and Karstadt Kaufhof 106 of Thomas Cook’s 126 German travel agencies. That is the message from the Cartel Office, which decided surprisingly quickly. Turkish tourism group Anex is taking over two of Thomas Cook Germany’s tour operator brands to step up its international expansion after acquiring Russia’s Intourist from the insolvent British group. In parallel, more than 100 Thomas Cook travel agencies in Germany are being sold off to department store group Karstadt. The deals, together with the planned sale of hotel brand Sentido and travel agency network Holiday Land to DER Touristik, highlight the ongoing break-up of the former number two tourism group in Germany.
- Aviation News
Lufthansa plans new low-cost brand for long-haul flights: According to Reise vor 9 the launch of the new brand is planned for 2020, the name has not yet been determined. This means that the subsidiary Eurowings, which has been gradually handing over responsibility for long-haul flights to Lufthansa since October anyway, is confining itself to short- and medium-haul traffic. Compared to Eurowings, which originally started from Düsseldorf, the new low-cost subsidiary is to start from the hubs in Frankfurt and Munich.
Lufthansa is offering the Ufo trade union the opportunity to begin the comprehensive arbitration process at its subsidiaries Eurowings, Germanwings and CityLine, even without a binding peace obligation, in order to make a «major» arbitration process with Ufo possible. The waiver of the assurance of a peace obligation would be linked to a moderation process at Germanwings in which all open tariff issues could be discussed. Lufthansa is open and ready to discuss the question of whether a moderation process at Germanwings can occur with or without a binding peace obligation. Lufthansa made this concession to the Ufo in constructive talks of the past few days.
Condor hopes to get through the current restructuring process and present a new owner: According to an interview published by the fvw, CEO Ralf Teckentrup said that the airline is performing better than expected at present and that they will present a restructuring plan at the end of December. The airline is currently in talks with potential buyers, as an independent leisure airline. «The current booking trend is currently exceeding expectations. This is also a clear sign of confidence on the part of tour operators, travel agencies and our direct customers.» This have made the airline into a more attractive target for potential buyers. The loss of passengers from Thomas Cook Germany, amounting to 15% of total volumes, is being compensated for by a strong demand. The airline has been given full independence from the insolvent British group, because at the end of September, Condor entered into a so-called preliminary protective shield procedure to release itself from joint liabilities from its former parent company Thomas Cook Group plc.
TUI Group is poised to launch its own long-haul flights from Germany to the Caribbean next year: As fvw informs, after TUIfly sealed an agreement with the German pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit following long negotiations, including mediation, the airline announced it will take off with two Dreamliner B787 jets in winter 2020/21, flying to destinations in the Caribbean and Mexico as well as TUI Cruises departure ports. The flights are likely to carry mostly customers of TUI Germany and TUI Cruises, along with customers of other tour operators.
- Destination News
Thailand plans combined visa with neighboring countries: According to Reise vor 9, Thai government confirms introduction of “double entry” tourist visa. The government says the new measures would allow a visitor to go in and out of Thailand to neighboring countries, such as Cambodia, Laos or Malaysia, then back into Thailand.
- Cruise News
Aida Mira christening with live broadcast in Palma de Mallorca: According to touristik aktuell, tomorrow, Saturday, around 23:00, the Aida Mira will be christened in the port of Palma de Mallorca. Aida Cruises will broadcast the event, including fireworks, live from 10.30 p.m. on the shipping company website, Facebook and Youtube.
