ASI Reisen takes over Windrose: Revolution in luxury and family holidays!

ASI Reisen takes over Windrose: Revolution in luxury and family holidays!

ASI Reisen has significantly expanded its market position with the takeover of Windrose and Vamos. The move, completed on Friday, is aimed at opening up new niches in specialty tourism. Managing director Ambros Gasser pursues a strategy of entrepreneurial independence without synergies and emphasizes that both companies, which have over 50 years and 40 years of experience respectively, specialize in quality. Windrose is known for exclusive luxury travel, while Vamos offers family vacations, so all three brands cover different but complementary market segments.

Windrose, the luxury travel specialist of the insolvent FTI Group, needed a new investor after the bankruptcy, which they found in ASI Reisen. The location in Berlin will remain intact, and Christian Böll will remain on board as Managing Director of Windrose. Gasser plans to become active in the luxury sector and emphasizes that Windrose has already exceeded last year's sales. The positive advance bookings for 2024/25 strengthen expectations for the future.

Strategy of independent brands

Gasser emphasizes that the acquisitions will not lead to a merger of teams or a centralized structure. Each company remains independent, which is important to it in order to preserve its individual strengths and qualities. A higher-level CFO position in the finance area should ensure transparency and uniform reporting structures.

As part of these acquisitions, ASI Reisen will also invest in digital, configurable and directly bookable offers, while Windrose offers tailor-made trips. Vamos is positioning itself positively between these two approaches and plans to become more involved in stationary sales. It is emphasized that there will be no uniform commission model. ASI, on the other hand, has simplified its commission model and offers a 10 percent commission on every booking for all travel agencies, supplemented by temporary promotions.

Sustainability in focus

A central element of Gasser's corporate strategy is the focus on sustainability, including in the luxury segment. He aims to make Windrose a leading provider of sustainable luxury travel. Positive examples from southern Africa are cited as inspiration. The integration of external organizers such as Hauser Exkursionen and Chamäleon into ASI's sales platform is also being planned, with partners having to be certified sustainable by the end of 2025 in order to continue to be listed.

In conclusion, the focus for the coming months will be on product quality, CO2 reduction, local value creation and technical development. How the corporate cultures of ASI Reisen and Windrose will harmonize remains to be seen, and the industry is looking forward to developments in these brands.

For more information, read the full reports Gloobi and Travel before9.