Hotelplan Group is taking over vtours. The online travel company, which is primarily active in German-speaking countries, will remain independent and continue to operate as vtours GmbH in Germany and as vtours international AG in Switzerland.

On Friday 4 October 2019, Hotelplan Group signed the purchase contract for the online travel provider vtours, based in Aschaffenburg (D) and Glattbrugg/Zurich (CH). The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. After the takeover, vtours will continue to operate under independent management in both Germany and Switzerland. The annual turnover of vtours GmbH and vtours international AG exceeds 400 million euro.vtours mainly produces and distributes beach holidays in the Mediterranean under its own brands and for third parties. The products are largely compiled dynamically and sold via online platforms and travel agencies. vtours GmbH was founded in 2004 by Achim Schneider, Tobias Wolfshohl and Gerhard Ackermanns and is one of German-speaking Europe's leading dynamic tour operators that create travel offers in real time. The Switzerland-based vtours international AG, a sister company of vtours GmbH, was founded in 2015.

vtours will continue to be run independently within Hotelplan Group by Achim Schneider as CEO. He will be reporting directly to Hotelplan Group CEO Thomas Stirnimann. There will be no major changes for the around 150 vtours employees in Germany and Switzerland. The Aschaffenburg location will remain unchanged. The offices in Glattbrugg will be integrated into the headquarters of Hotelplan Group.

"The merger will not only enable us to operate in the German-speaking countries but also throughout Europe and, above all, benefit from Hotelplan Group's technological expertise", says Achim Schneider, CEO vtours.

"We are delighted to acquire in vtours a profitable, creative, innovative and growing provider. With potential for synergies in IT as well as in purchasing and sales, vtours is an ideal addition to promote growth in German-speaking Europe. We would like to extend a warm welcome to the Hotelplan Group to Achim Schneider and his team", says Thomas Stirnimann, CEO Hotelplan Group.