The Federal Competition Commission (Comco) has announced that it will conduct an in-depth review of the planned takeover of the Hotelplan Group by the Dertour Group. The Comco announced this on Tuesday. The preliminary review revealed indications of a possible market dominance. Hotelplan operates under the brands Hotelplan, Migros Ferien, and Travelhouse, among others, while Dertour operates in Switzerland under Helvetic Tours and Kuoni. Together, the companies operate approximately 150 travel agencies in Switzerland.
Migros plans to sell Hotelplan as part of its strategy to focus on its core business. The Competition Commission (Weko) now plans to conduct a detailed investigation within four months to determine whether the merger of the two major tour operators will create a dominant market position. This investigation will also examine the extent to which self-booking and online platforms offer sufficient alternatives for travelers in Switzerland to counteract potential price increases.
The Dertour Group stated that it had expected a quick approval in order to open up new perspectives together with Hotelplan, but assured the Comco of its comprehensive support during the review. Dertour expressed its conviction that the merger would increase the variety of offers for Swiss consumers. In addition to Dertour, HomeToGo SE is acquiring the Hotelplan subsidiary Interhome, although this deal has now also been delayed until the Comco completes its review.
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