Eurowings launches own tour operator amid growing tourism demand

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Eurowings launches own tour operator amid growing tourism demand

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Kai Duve Board Member HR, Finance & IT | Eurowings

By Sky Industry News

Feb 12, 2025

Eurowings, part of the Lufthansa Group and Germany's largest leisure airline, is broadening its business scope by establishing a new tour operator named Eurowings Holidays. The company has been officially registered as Eurowings Holidays GmbH in Cologne and will commence operations on April 1, 2025.

This strategic move marks an important step for Eurowings in the expanding tourism sector. Eurowings Holidays GmbH will incorporate personnel and IT systems from entrepreneur Karlheinz Kögel's operations in Baden-Baden, including those from the HLX Group. The financial terms of this acquisition have not been disclosed. Initially, about 100 tourism experts will join Eurowings Holidays, with more than half coming from Binoli GmbH, a subsidiary of Kögel's HLX Group.

Kögel is recognized as a pioneer in dynamic tour operations and was instrumental in introducing last-minute travel to the market through his previous venture L'Tur. Since 2020, his HLX Group has been building the Eurowings Holidays brand into a significant player within Germany's tourism industry.

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Under Lufthansa's umbrella, the new company aims to offer tailored holidays for over 20 million customers who have predominantly booked flights with Eurowings. The future offerings will include flexible travel packages encompassing hotel accommodations and transfers alongside flights. These packages are designed with low deposits and options for free rebooking or reasonably priced cancellations to maximize planning flexibility.

A shift towards a data-driven business model incorporating advanced technologies is essential for growth. To support this transition, Eurowings Digital GmbH will play a key role by leveraging its expertise in e-commerce, data science, and AI. This Cologne-based subsidiary has expanded rapidly since its inception in 2018 and currently employs nearly 300 digital experts from various countries.

This expansion aligns with CEO Jens Bischof’s vision of transforming Eurowings from a primarily business-focused airline into a leading holiday airline. The airline maintains a strong presence on Mallorca with over 400 weekly connections during peak season and leads markets at German airports such as Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Cologne, and Stuttgart.

Eurowings CEO Jens Bischof stated: “We are combining our leading position in holiday flights with excellent package tour and digital expertise. We are thus strengthening our business model and developing into an innovative force in the growing tourism market."

Karlheinz Kögel commented: “The Eurowings Holidays brand has made a significant contribution to the outstanding development of the HLX Group... It is not easy for me to sell significant parts of this successful business segment... My sincere thanks go to our joint team..."