TUI Germany has decided to leave the trade association DRV (Deutsche Reiseverband) at the end of this year. TUI has announced that it is no longer satisfied with the way in which the DRV, the German sister of the ANVR, represents its interests According to TUI, the DRV does not sufficiently respond to the challenges of an increasingly global competitive environment. TUI emphasizes that a new approach is needed in advocacy, which is specifically focused on outbound tourism. ‘While travel organisations that offer package holidays have to comply with national rules and European regulations and spend a lot of money on them, such as for the protection of customer funds in the DRSF guarantee fund (the German GSC, ed.), many international competitors are exempt from these requirements. This gives them advantages in the market at the expense of German tourism companies, package holiday providers and travel agencies,” TUI criticizes the German lobby. TUI has announced that it will strengthen its own political advocacy, both at the (German) national level in Berlin and in Brussels and at the destinations. TUI Germany emphasizes that it remains in dialogue with all partners to strengthen the interests of the travel industry (especially package holidays) and those of consumers. Purely German question The issue at TUI Germany is completely unrelated to the Netherlands, says Arjan Kers, managing director of TUI Netherlands and Belgium and chairman of the ANVR when asked last weekend when asked by TravMagazine.
“This is purely a decision that was made in Germany.” Sebastian Ebel, CEO of TUI Group, had already argued in FVW/Travel Talk shortly after the bankruptcy of FTI that the DRV should focus more on the interests of package holiday providers. For example, tour operators and travel agencies are subject to strict rules when it comes to customer protection, while large international platforms such as Airbnb (and other providers of single travel services, ed.) are exempted from this. “This gives them advantages in the market, at the expense of German tourism companies, package tour providers and travel agencies that are bound by rules.” The DRV says in a statement on its website that it regrets the departure of TUI, as it is a large and long-term member of the association. (Photo: TUI).
