DER Touristik creates European network of travel experts / Antitrust authorities approve acquisition of Kuoni tour operator activities (FOTO)

Frankfurt/Zürich (ots) -

- All European tour operators, travel agencies and online portals
of Kuoni transferred to REWE Group

- DER Touristik has operations in 14 European countries

- Individuality and diversity are the Group's strengths

DER Touristik, the travel division of the REWE Group, is
reorganising itself and is set to assume a leading role in the
European travel market. As the Frankfurt-based travel group has
announced, the EU's and Switzerland's competition authorities have
approved, without conditions, the acquisition of the entire European
tour operator and travel sales business of the Swiss tourism group
Kuoni Travel Holding Ltd. (Zürich). The acquisition announced by the
REWE Group on 22 June 2015 has now been completed.

The expanded DER Touristik will have combined revenue of 7 billion
euros and 7.7 million customers, with operations in the tour operator
and travel sales business in 14 European countries. The transaction
covers all tour operators, specialists, travel agencies and online
portals in the markets of Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Benelux as
well as Scandinavia/Finland - where it also includes the airline
Novair and the Playitas sports resort in Fuerteventura.

In terms of structure and travel offering, DER Touristik has
adopted its own particular style. "Travel requirements are as
individual as the people who travel. That's why we believe in
diversity", says Sören Hartmann, CEO of DER Touristik Group,
rejecting the idea of merging the national entities into a single
company. The national entities and brands will continue to exist.

"We will create a European affiliation of very strong tourism
companies. Sales and tour operators - as well as the specialist
brands - will remain national. If you want to meet individual travel
requirements, you have to be close to the customer", emphasises Sören
Hartmann. Consumers should also benefit from this merger: "Being a
large group gives us the leverage to achieve even more with regard to
quality and terms. That will be good for our customers", says
Hartmann.

Background

DER Touristik, which is part of the REWE Group, generates revenue
of 7 billion euros and has 9,400 employees (2014), making it one of
the leading travel groups in Europe. 7.7 million customers from 14
European countries use the tour operators of DER Touristik each year
to travel to 179 destination countries around the world. The tour
operators in the volume business include the following brands: ITS,
Jahn Reisen, Travelix, Dertour, Meier's Weltreisen and ADAC Reisen
(Germany), Kuoni (Switzerland and UK), Helvetic Tours (Switzerland)
and Apollo (Scandinavia and Finland). In Austria and East European
countries (Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary), DER
Touristik is represented by its own tour operators and through
alliances (ITS Billa, Jahn Reisen, Dertour, Meier's Weltreisen,
Transair) as well as through its majority interest in Exim Holding
(Exim Tours, Kartago Tours).

In addition, there are almost 30 specialists: in Germany:
Camperboerse.de, Clevertours and prijsvrij.nl, in Switzerland: Manta
Reisen, Kontiki, Railtour, Frantour, Kuoni Cruises, Asia 365, Adria
365, Private Safaris, Cotravel, Dorado Latin Tours, Pink Cloud, ACS
Reisen and lastminute.ch; in Scandinavia: Lime Travel, Golf Plaisir,
Out of Bounds Golfresor and Krone Golf Tours; in the UK: Carrier,
Kirker, CV Vilas and Voyages Jules Verne; and in the Benelux
countries: Koning Aap, Your Way 2 Go, Shoestring and
Entdeck-die-welt.de.

In travel sales, DER Touristik is the market leader in the whole
of Germany, with 2,100 sales agencies, the online travel portal
der.com and numerous online tour operator portals. They include the
sales channels DER Reisebüro, the Derpart franchise system as well as
the organisation of medium-sized owner-managed travel agencies under
the umbrella of DER Touristik Partner-Service (DTPS). In addition,
the business travel division FCm Travel Solutions offers medium-sized
companies and international corporations comprehensive business
travel management services. DER Touristik also has a dense network of
sales outlets in Switzerland, with 82 travel agencies (Kuoni,
Helvetic Tours, Rewi Reisen and Premium Specialists), as well as in
the UK (Kuoni Stores). Furthermore, the Swedish charter airline
Novair and 48 hotels trading under the Club Calimera, PrimaSol, lti
Hotel and Playitas (sports resort in Fuerteventura) brands are also
part of the Group.

More information at www.dertouristik.com.

Media contact:

Tobias Jüngert
Telephone: +49 69 9588 1600