Dertour, Meier‘s Weltreisen and ADAC Reisen so far satisfied with the course of business

Frankfurt/Bonn, 03.07.09

Trips to European and long-haul destinations up - new offers for North Africa strongly expanded in Egypt and Morocco - new destination: Tunisia.

Dertour, Meier's Weltreisen and ADAC Reisen, Germany's leading specialists for individual holidays, have registered in the ongoing travel business year (from November 2008 to October 2009) a slight decrease in turnover of currently 2 per cent. With this development they are better - for eight years in a row - than the industry's average, which has decreased by about 7 per cent.

Michael Frese, Managing Director for the building block and long-haul tour operators that belong to REWE Group Travel and Tourism division is satisfied with this development. "As market leader for individual holidays as well as long-haul and city trips we pull through quite well despite the difficult economic environment", said Michael Frese on the occasion of the presentation of the travel programme of the three operators in Bonn. Frese: "A minus of 2 per cent isn't nice, but it is neither dramatic. When compared with the overall market, we can rather consider it a quite satisfying interim result. More than 80 per cent of all tours for the travel season 2008/2009 have already been booked. We therefore expect the 2008/2009 turnover to be slightly below the result of the previous year. This year, the customers, however, take their holiday decisions much more at short notice than in the previous years. If the current trend holds on, even a 'plus/minus zero' change could be reached".

Travel trends for the current travel season 2008/2009: Europe registers a strong increase of 11 per cent

The sustainable growth in tours within Germany amounting to 27 per cent shows how appealing the own country is as a holiday destination and a trend towards trips to closer destinations in general. With an increase of 26 per cent, also the countries around the Mediterranean, however, show an excellent performance at Dertour. A satisfactory development can be also observed in ocean cruises (up 14 per cent) and wellness trips (up 7 per cent). City trips and sports holidays have produced the turnover figures of the previous year. On a downwards trend are trips to Russia and Eastern Europe (down 17 per cent) and tours to Northern Europe (down 4 per cent).

A slight increase in turnover of 1 per cent has been achieved with long-haul tours. The fact that the turnover surplus is not higher can be attributed to the low exchange rates and to some considerable price reductions in many countries. This fall in prices was triggered off by a strongly declining demand in the source markets of Eastern Europe, the US, but also some European neighbouring countries, particularly England and Spain. Some hotels in Dubai, New York or Las Vegas, for instance, have cut their prices by up to 50 per cent. Despite fallen prices, North America has still registered an increase of 4 per cent. For US destinations, this year's demand is clearly stronger than for trips to Canada. The Caribbean has experienced a stable increase of 4 per cent.  Declines have been registered for the Indian Ocean and Africa (down 4 per cent) as well as Australia/Oceania (down 11 per cent).

Prices have remained stable in both Europe and Northern Africa. Trips to Northern Europe are about 7 to 10 per cent cheaper. In Germany and Austria prices have experienced a slight increase of 3 per cent. Spain has remained stable. Mallorca is an exception: There, prices have been cut by up to 15 per cent. Thanks to the low rate of inflation, the prices for the coming winter season in the city travel segment will generally be on this year's level. The moderate price increases in the long-haul sector with an average o 5 per cent are widely outbalanced by lower prices for flights, many early booking discounts as well as extended low season schemes.

Winter season catalogues 2009/2010 - New destination: Tunisia - Overnight stays on top of the roofs of Capetown - Downtown walking tours with a drag queen - Dinner 55 metres above Las Vegas

With 25 new catalogues Dertour (18 catalogues), Meier's Weltreisen (5 catalogues) and ADAC Reisen (2 catalogues) start out into the coming winter season 2009/2010. With a total of 16 catalogues, long-haul trips are on focus. For the first time, Dertour offers tours to Tunisia.

Thirty-two 3 to 5-star hotels on Djerba, in Mahdia, Skanes, Sousse, Port El Kantaoui and Hammamet offer relaxed holidays on the beach. Guests participating in the 22-days round trip "Adventure Rajasthan" for young and youthful elderly travellers will discover the colourful world of India by travelling above all with public means of transport such as busses and trains, will undertake camel tours through the desert and experience one night under the starry sky. Dertour offers its guests extraordinary and exclusive overnight stays in Capetown.  Seven silver-shiny caravans - American airstreams - are installed on top of the roof of the Grand Daddy Hotel. Every vehicle has been designed in a very comfortable, subject-related and special way with lots of love and creativity.  A new offer in the city tour programme is a guided downtown tour (in German referred to as 'Kiez') with Germany's most famous drag queen, Olivia Jones. In the coming winter season, Dertour offers an 8-day-trip to Greenland, the largest island of the world, titled "The fascinating world of icebergs", which starts and ends in Copenhagen. Travellers can chose from a total of nine trips starting from Ilulissat and Kangerlussuaq. All tours offers are new in the Dertour programme.

Meier's Weltreisen invites its study tour guests to the favourite places of its study tour guides located in Africa, Ecuador, India and along the Silk Road. For the first time and starting the coming winter season, Ethiopia rounds out the offer of Meier's Weltreisen's Africa Catalogue. The sun and strand islands of San Andrés/Columbia and Isla Mujeres/Mexico are new island destinations in the Caribbean Programme of Meier's Weltreisen.  A very special "Dinner in the Sky" is offered to travellers on top of the colourful roofs of glamorous Las Vegas.  The main course is taken on a platform situated at a height of 55 metres, which offers a breathtaking view on the city.

Guests of ADAC Reisen will experience the hospitality and readiness to help of the South African people in their accommodations already. On the tour "At home in South Africa" ("Zuhause in Südafrika") they will stay in selected small and charming guest houses and lodges. For all who want to experience the classic motorcycle feeling without willing to abstain from comfort, the trikes offered by ADAC Reisen are the right choice. The trips can be started from Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The trikes, which can be from Harley Davidson or from Honda, depending on availability, can be easily ridden by two persons.

The winter season catalogues of the tour operators Dertour, Meier's Weltreisen and ADAC Reisen offer quite a number of attractive price discounts for early bookings, which can amount to up to 35 per cent. Early booking discounts are also available without fixed time frame for bookings made 30, 40, 60 or up to 90 days prior to arrivals at the destinations.  These offers are available for both long-haul trips and for holidays in Europe alike.

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REWE GROUP-Corporate Communications
Tel.: 0221 - 149-1050
E-Mail: presse(at)rewe-group.com

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