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History

From rail ticket sales counter to one of Europe’s leading tourism groups: DERTOUR Group can look back on a corporate history spanning over 100 years. In October 1917, the company was founded as Deutsches Reisebüro in Berlin. With sights always firmly set on the travel needs of guests, it was destined for growth and internationalisation from the outset. The company thus continually developed, broken new ground and, thanks to acquisitions and newly founded companies, evolved into the DERTOUR Group of today. 

Since 2000 it has been a 100 per cent subsidiary of REWE. Under the umbrella of REWE Group, one of the leading trading companies in Europe, the DERTOUR Group is well and securely positioned and now operate with more than 130 companies in 16 European countries. For its guests, DERTOUR Group is – today, as in the past – a competent, reliable and dedicated partner for everything to do with travel – ensuring that holidays become the most wonderful part of the year in future, too. 

2024

DER Touristik Group takes a step in its strategic evolution signifying the Group’s commitment to internationalisation by becoming known as DERTOUR Group. 

Luftaufnahme vom Arosa Sylt Hotel am Strand, im Hintergrund sind andere Häuser und das Meer zu sehen

The hotel division of the DERTOUR Group, DERTOUR Hotel & Resorts GmbH, has acquires a majority stake in DR Hospitality GmbH & Co. KG. DR Hospitality was founded in 2021 as an equal joint venture with Deutsche Seereederei (DSR). 

DSR Hotel Holding GmbH, joint venture partner of the hotel company of the DERTOUR Group, takes over the hotel group Travel Charme Hotels & Resorts. 

2023
ananea Kos Hotelzimmer in beige, Blick auf das Bett und die Terrasse

DER Touristik Hotel Division launches new lifestyle hotel brand ananea and opens the first ananea hotel on the Greek Island of Kos. 

Aldiana Management GmbH, which belongs to the DER Touristik Group, purchases Aldiana Club Ampflwang in Austria.

DTH Real Estate Fuerteventura S.L (Spain), which belongs to DER Touristik Group, acquires the Aldiana Club Fuerteventura.

2022

DER Touristik Group fully takes over Aldiana Club Resorts. 

As part of the brand sharpening, DER Touristik Hotels & Resorts is transferring the PrimaSol hotel brand to the Calimera brand. 

2021
Eckfassade eines DERTOUR Reisebüros mit roter Beschilderung

DERTOUR Reisebüro replaces the former brand DER Reisebüro. 
DER Touristik Group and DSR Hotel Holding found the joint venture DR Hospitality based in Hamburg and Rostock. 

DER Touristik Group acquires D-reizen, one of the leading online travel sales and travel agency organisations in the Netherlands. 

The Northern European subsidiary DER Touristik Nordic sells the airline Novair to the Danish Jet Nordic Group. 

2020
Blick von außen in eine Filiale eines Fischer-Reisen- Reisebüros in Tschechien. in der Mitte ein großer Counter mit Fischer Reisen Logo, an den Schaufenstern hängen Angebotszettel

The Czech subsidiary Exim Holding acquires the tourism company Fischer in Prague. 

DER Touristik Hotels & Resorts takes over the Galo Resort, Madeira. The resort will operate as Sentido Galo Resort in the future. 

DER Touristik Hotels & Resorts merges its hotel brands lti and Sentido. Sentido becomes the new brand name. 

The DER Touristik Group acquires a 50 per cent share in  Aldiana Club Resorts.

2015

DER Touristik Group takes over Kuoni’s European tour operator and sales business in Switzerland, the UK, Scandinavia and Benelux and now ranks among the leading tourism companies in Europe. 

2014

Tjaereborg is renamed to Travelix. 

DER Touristik Group acquires 50 per cent of the Dutch online travel portal Prijsvrij.

Germany's second largest tourism company will unite the activities of its over 60 companies and equities under a single management. 

2013

Founding of the umbrella brand DER Touristik Group for the still independent tour operator brands, the travel agency sales and business travel division. 

The Atlasreisen offices are renamed to  DER Reisebüro.

2012
Blick in ein Reisebüro von EXIM Tours mit pinken und grauen Möbeln, eine Weltkarte an der Wand und zwei Arbeitsplätzen

DER Touristik Group acquires 51 per cent of the Czech market leader Exim Tours.

2009

The Reisebüro Service Gesellschaft (RSG) becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of REWE Touristik. 

Founding of the direct marketing company ITS Billa Travel in the Czech Republic.

2008
Camper fährt durch eine rote Wüstenlandschaft

Dertour takes over the website camperboerse.de.

REWE Touristik acquires the travel agency cooperation ProTours AG.

2007
überflutete Reisfelder vor einem Sonnenaufgang

The corporate group Deutsches Reisebüro enters into a joint venture in Indonesia with the agency Agentur Go Vacation .

The tour operator clevertours.com is founded.

2006

Affiliate inclusion of the Austrian tour operator brands ITS Billa Reisen and Jahn Reisen Österreich in the newly established REWE Austria Touristik GmbH. 

LTU Touristik GmbH is renamed REWE Touristik GmbH.

REWE Group divests its shares in LTU. 

2002

LTU Touristik acquires 25.1 per cent of shares in the travel agency cooperation ProTours AG.

The hotel operating company LTU Touristik Hotels & Investments is founded. 

2001

The REWE Group takes over LTU Touristik with the tour operator brands Jahn Reisen, Tjeareborg and  Meiers Weltreisen

and acquires 40 per cent of shares in LTU Airways. 

Launch of the Atlasreise Franchise System, acquisition of  TourContact GmbH by LTU Touristik and founding of the Reisebüro Service Gesellschaft RSG. 

Founding of Atlasreisen Austria and tour operator LTU Touristik in Wiener Neudorf. 

DERTOUR enters the Austrian market via Dertour Austria GmbH in Salzburg. 

2000
Logo DERPART

REWE Group acquires all shares of DER from Deutsche Bahn. DER becomes a 100 percent subsidiary of REWE. With the affiliated companies ITS Reisen and Atlasreisen, the travel and tourism division of REWE Group expands its market position. Derpart cooperation partners are now also under the REWE umbrella. 

Dertour purchases 51 per cent of shares in ADAC Reisen, Munich. 

1998

Deutsche Bahn becomes the sole shareholder of DER. 

DER undergoes restructuring: The tour operator business and travel sales continue to be managed as separate entities. Sales are divided into the “DER Reisebüro” and “DER Business” business divisions. 

1996

DER GmbH takes over 100 per cent of Reisebüro Rominger GmbH in Stuttgart and the Amtliches Bayerisches Reisebüro (abr) in each case. 

1995

Deutsche Bahn holds two thirds, Deutsche Lufthansa holds one third of shares in DER. 

REWE Group acquires ITS from Kaufhof AG.

A further 300 travel agencies are integrated into the national sales network of Atlas Reisen. The first stone of the tour operator business is laid. 

1988

REWE Group acquires a stake in Atlas Reisebüro GmbH, Cologne. 

1983
Katalogtitel von DERTOUR von 1984 - Europas grüne Oasen

The DERTOUR brand is launched with the catalogue “Europe’s Greenest Oases”. Three years later, the entire tour operator business of DER trades under the “DERTOUR” name. 

1980

Deutsche Lufthansa acquires shares in DER, additional shareholders are Deutsche Bahn, Hapag Lloyd and the abr-Reisebüro. 

1979

DER jointly founds Derpart Reisevertrieb GmbH with medium-sized partners. 

Together with Hapag Lloyd, DER founds the incoming subsidiary New World Travel in New York. 

1963
Kennedy-in-Berlin-1963, er steht mit Willy Brandt und Konrad Adenauer in einem Auto und fährt an einem DER Reisebüro vorbei

John F. Kennedy visits Berlin.

1960

DER becomes the authorised representative of the German Federal Railway and now sells rail tickets in its own travel agencies.  

As of 1954
Schwarzweißfoto einer DER-Auslandsfiliale in Rom, ein Auto steht vor dem Gebäude

From the mid-1950s, various foreign representative offices are reopened, starting with the branch in Rome. This is followed by further branches in Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Los Angeles, Toronto, New York, Miami, Tokyo, Milan and Budapest. 

1950
Schwarzweißfoto eines Innenraums eines Reisebüros aus den 50er Jahren mit Menschen an Schaltern

DER Travel Agency in the 50th.

1946

Renaming of MER to Deutsches Reisebüro and relocation from Berlin to Frankfurt am Main. 

1945

The Allied Control Council expropriates the subsidiaries abroad and in Eastern Germany. 

The travel agencies located in the GDR are consolidated in the state-owned "Reisebüro der DDR" (travel agency of the GDR). 

1933-1945

During the Nazi regime, the state-owned German Reichsbahn was the majority shareholder of MER. As of 1937, the German Reichsbahn had been completely integrated into the National Socialist state. It used the MER as an official travel agency during the Nazi era. You can find more information here. 

1930
Schwarzweißbild einer Reisebürofassade des MER Reisebüros in Köln von 1930, Menschen sitzen davor

MER Travel Agency in Cologne

1926

Founding of the first subsidiary Amerop Travel in New York. 

1918

Deutsches Reisebüro was renamed Mitteleuropäisches Reisebüro (MER). 

 
1917

Founding of DR Deutsches Reisebüro in Berlin by the German state railways, the Norddeutscher Lloyd and the Hamburg America Line. The state railways (since 1920 the German Reichsbahn) were majority shareholders.  Reichsbahn) waren Mehrheitseigentümer.