Hotelplan merges beach holiday business into one division

The Hotelplan, Migros Ferien and German Vtours brands will come under the umbrella of the new Volume Tour Operating business unit, the Migros travel subsidiary announced in a communiqué on Wednesday. Also part of the new unit is the existing flight broker business in Switzerland and Germany. As a result, the former Hotelplan Suisse business unit will be split up and the Vtours business unit will be absorbed into the new division. Hotelplan Suisse will retain the two specialist brands Travelhouse and Tourisme Pour Tous, marketing in Switzerland, distribution and the 88 travel agencies, as group spokeswoman Bianca Gähweiler said on request.

No job cuts

By combining the classic beach holiday business, it will be possible to bundle purchasing in Switzerland and Germany. The larger volume will result in lower prices in some cases, Gähweiler said. Otherwise, nothing will change for customers. Employees would also keep their jobs. "The adjustment of the organizational structure will not result in any job cuts in Switzerland or Germany," Hotelplan Group wrote.

Bachmann new head of the division

Head of the new Volume Tour Operating division will be the current Head of Hotelplan Suisse, Tim Bachmann (pictured), who will remain on the Executive Board. The new head of Hotelplan Suisse will be Nicole Pfammatter, previously Director Distribution & Marketing Hotelplan Suisse, while she retains responsibility for Distribution. Pfammatter thus moves into the Group Executive Board. Vtours CEO and co-founder Achim Schneider will leave the company at the end of October 2022, it said: "He already made the decision not to renew his contract in summer 2021 and it is not related to the new organizational structure." As part of the structural adjustment, the Executive Board of the Hotelplan Group will also be expanded. New appointments to the Executive Board include Walter Jung, previously HR Director Hotelplan Group, and Adrian Arnold, previously Director Group Strategy & Projects. As Chief People Officer, Walter Jung will increasingly focus on strategic HR issues for the entire Group. Adrian Arnold, as Chief Digital & Strategy Officer, will be responsible for the digitalization of customer interfaces and sustainability. (SDA)