{"id":29606,"date":"2026-08-10T10:52:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T08:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/?p=29606"},"modified":"2026-08-11T14:30:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T12:30:55","slug":"winter-vacation-the-waiting-game-is-over","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/press-and-media\/newsroom\/stories\/winter-vacation-the-waiting-game-is-over\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter Vacation: The Waiting Game Is Over"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Should you travel, or \u2014 with given geopolitical developments \u2014 would it be better to stay home? Until recently, DERTOUR operators\u2014 like the rest of the industry \u2014 were still seeing some hesitation when it came to winter bookings. But that seems to be over now.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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New bookings are picking up significantly <\/h2>\n

Overall, guest numbers for the coming winter are still below those of the previous year \u2014 a trend we\u2019re seeing across the entire market. For about a month now, however, we\u2019ve been seeing a significant increase in weekly bookings from our tour operators, which are often even in the double digits compared to the strong figures from the previous year. The wait-and-see phase is over, <\/span>and the desire to travel is taking hold,<\/q> says Boris Raoul. We are therefore very optimistic about the coming months of bookings for the winter season.<\/q>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\n \"Boris-Raoul-Portraet\"\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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About:<\/h2>

\n Boris Raoul <\/p>\n\n

CEO DERTOUR Germany and Austria, CTO DERTOUR Group<\/p>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\n \"Aerial\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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A Dream Vacation on the Red Sea at the Sentido Reef Oasis Suakin Resort<\/p>\n<\/div> <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Trends: Thailand, Egypt \u2014 and Lots of Individuality <\/h2>\n

“Most of the incoming bookings are currently for Thailand and Egypt, followed by the Indian Ocean and the Canary Islands.\u00a0DERTOUR\u2019s team is also observing trends in travel styles: Long-haul trips, flexible travel options, and unique experiences are shaping demand for the coming winter. Today, travelers want to tailor their vacations more closely to their personal interests. We\u2019re responding to this trend by strategically expanding our offerings,<\/q> says Boris Raoul, CEO of DERTOUR Germany and Austria.<\/p>\n

DERTOUR\u2019s new winter programs, ITS, and Meiers Weltreisen, therefore feature not only classic sun destinations in the medium and long-haul segments but also customizable round-trip tours, new offers for solo travelers, and special winter experiences such as Northern Lights tours, active vacations, and gourmet getaways. In addition, the tour operators are continuing to expand their hotel portfolios in many destination regions, such as Asia, Africa, and the classic winter sun destinations around the Mediterranean and in Egypt. Long-haul travel specialist Meiers Weltreisen is adding several largely undiscovered destinations to its program, such as El Salvador, Angola, the Dutch Caribbean island of Sint Eustatius, and the island of St. Helena, located far out in the South Atlantic.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Save up to 45 percent with early-bird discounts <\/h2>\n

Consumers continue to pay close attention to value for money and planning<\/span>\u00ad” “We expect demand for early-bird discounts to remain high again this winter, with savings of up to 45%,” he said. “We expect demand for early-bird discounts to remain high again this winter, with savings of up to 45%,” he said.spanu003e\u00ad” discounts, which can save travelers up to 45 percent this coming winter,” says Sven Schikarsky, Managing Director of Product at DERTOUR Germany. In addition to the price advantage, booking early offers a wider selection of hotels, flight options, and room categories. Many of our guests appreciate that.<\/q><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

For added peace of mind when planning, many early bookers opt for the optional Flex Package, which offers expanded cancellation and rebooking <\/span> options. This allows travelers to remain flexible in the event of unforeseen changes.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Southern Africa is seeing above-average growth in demand for winter travel<\/p>\n<\/div> <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Up-and-Coming Destinations: Places Focused on Nature, Active Recreation, and Adventure <\/h2>\n

Several destinations in Asia are experiencing particularly dynamic growth in long-haul travel, including Japan\u2014which has seen a veritable boom in recent years\u2014and Indonesia, particularly Bali. Demand for travel to Southern Africa is also growing at an above-average rate, due in part to the rising popularity of self-drive tours and an attractive exchange rate. On short- and medium-haul routes, current rising stars include Norway\u2014thanks to its attractive pricing trends and diverse winter activities\u2014as well as Morocco, where interest in Marrakesh is particularly high. Germany is experiencing especially strong growth, having already been among the most-booked destinations last winter. Upper Bavaria, the Harz Mountains, and the Baltic Sea are particularly popular here. These rising destinations thus underscore the findings of the DERTOUR Travel Trend Report<\/a>: destinations offering nature, active pursuits, and unique experiences continue to gain in importance.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Read more <\/h2>\n \n <\/div>\n
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    \n \"Two\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n
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    Press release<\/p>\n

    24 September 2026<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

    From the REWE GROUP for customers: toom Baumarkt DIY store and fulfillmenttools lay the foundation for flexible omnichannel services<\/h3>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n <\/li>\n
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    Press release<\/p>\n

    14 September 2026<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

    REWE GROUP Supports Cologne Cultural Fund<\/h3>\n

    Funding model helps the independent arts scene attract federal and EU funding to Cologne<\/p>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n <\/li>\n

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    Press release<\/p>\n

    17 August 2026<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

    S&P Reaffirms REWE GROUP’s \u201cBBB\u201d Rating (Outlook Stable)\u00a0<\/h3>\n

    REWE Group remains in a strong financial position and is focused on long-term growth through strategic investments<\/p>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n <\/li>\n

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    Press release<\/p>\n

    24 July 2026<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

    Strategic Expansion of Hotel Operations: DERTOUR Group Becomes Sole Owner of DSR Hotel Holding<\/h3>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n <\/li>\n
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    Story<\/p>\n

    23 July 2026<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

    “I’m an optimistic person. I’ve always been that way.”<\/h3>\n

    For Ines Batz of DERTOUR, the effectiveness of her appreciative, positive, and calm leadership style was evident not only during stressful periods at work but also during a personal crisis: Her team naturally stepped in and supported her through that time. From her own career experience, she also knows that no one is perfectly prepared for a leadership position. Her advice to other women: Take it one step at a time\u2014with courage, curiosity, and confidence.<\/p>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n <\/li>\n

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    Story<\/p>\n

    22 July 2026<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

    Sports Bring People Together: Inclusion Right in the Heart of the Neighborhood<\/h3>\n

    What\u2019s it like to play wheelchair basketball? Florian S\u00f6rensen, manager of the sales department, tried it out for himself at the inclusive family sports festival in Berlin-Reinickendorf in early July. A few meters away, European Para-Badminton Champion Rick Hellmann was playing with guests. Fifty meters away, children were climbing a tower made of empty water crates, while at the many other booths, people were discussing the theme of the day: the self-determined participation of people with disabilities in social life.<\/p>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n <\/li>\n

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    Story<\/p>\n

    15 July 2026<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

    CSD 2026: Take a Stand. Embrace Diversity.<\/h3>\n

    Together with our LGBTIQ employee network, DITO, we are once again participating in numerous Christopher Street Days and Pride events this year. For the first time, we\u2019ll have trucks in six German cities, and we\u2019re also supporting numerous regional Pride events as well as initiatives organized by our regional offices and retailers. We are also sending a clear message of diversity at our locations in Austria, Italy, and Slovakia. <\/p>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n <\/li>\n

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    Story<\/p>\n

    1 July 2026<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

    From Zero to Woof: REWE Retailer Simon Bacher on His Journey to Opening the First ZooRoyal Specialty Store in North Rhine-Westphalia<\/h3>\n

    Goats, Chickens, and the Dream of Owning a Store: How Simon Bacher Appears on Camera for ZooRoyal <\/p>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n <\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    \n Join the discussion on LinkedIn <\/h2>\n
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    Our LinkedIn feed has all the latest information from the REWE GROUP and the sector, with the most important developments from the worlds of retail, e-commerce, food, CSR and policy.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

    \n \n To LinkedIn feed <\/a>\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n

    \n <\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Recently, the number of bookings for the winter season has been picking up significantly again. Half of all bookings made with our tour operators are for long-haul destinations, and flexible travel options and unique experiences are very much in vogue. Here\u2019s an overview of the highlights from the new itineraries<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":29602,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"44957,46146,47184,18487,20441,48819","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","nl_adhoc_sent":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"sales_line":[27],"focus_theme":[142],"class_list":["post-29606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-company","sales_line-dertour-group","focus_theme-undefined"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/38"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29606"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29606\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30928,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29606\/revisions\/30928"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29606"},{"taxonomy":"sales_line","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sales_line?post=29606"},{"taxonomy":"focus_theme","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rewe-group.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/focus_theme?post=29606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}