Otravo continues rapid growth with takeover of dé VakantieDiscounter
This strategic takeover strengthens Otravo’s position as the largest provider of online travel in the Benelux and Scandinavia. Otravo CEO Raymond Vrijenhoek: “This is our second large takeover within a year. It widens our company’s base considerably. In addition to excelling at online tickets sales, we can now also offer online holidays in the broadest sense of the word. Dé VakantieDiscounter is a modern and hip brand, where user experience, relevance and response time create ‘booking without cursing’. The brand complements our existing label WTC, which focuses on custom-made solutions for its clients. We expect the two brands will reinforce each other in many ways.”
Dé VakantieDiscounter’s current director, Hans van Hoffen, will remain and will work closely together with Vrijenhoek. Van Hoffen says: “Otravo’s clear vision is completely in line with our strategy at dé VakantieDiscounter: providing a wide range of holidays, optimally satisfying customers’ needs. This strategic takeover by Otravo allows us to expand our knowledge and further strengthen our market position. We are very pleased to have found a strategic partner in Otravo who, just like us, is always looking for the latest technical innovations and solutions for its clients, with a driven and passionate team of people. Next to economies of scale and knowledge, Otravo provides us with the opportunity to develop and expand dé VakantieDiscounter.”
This latest acquisition adds over € 100 million turnover to the Otravo Group, reaching a total combined turnover of almost € 600 million. Naturally, the strong brand dé VakantieDiscounter will remain, as will all employees. The new setting does mean intensive cooperation between back and mid offices, creating new opportunities such as virtual tour operating.
Elmar Reizen BV (doing business as dé VakantieDiscounter) was founded in Delft in 1996 and acquired dé VakantieDiscounter in 2007. The company’s growth has been driven by its specialization in the online comparison of (sun) holidays. Thanks to their modern and smart ICT structure and efficient work processes, they are able to provide optimal offers to their customer base.
