Court ruling endangers travel agencies’ sales agent status!

Court ruling endangers travel agencies’ sales agent status!

A current ruling by the Düsseldorf Regional Court is causing great uncertainty in the travel agency industry. The decision could endanger the sales agent status of travel agencies, which has far-reaching consequences for sales structures in travel sales. Loud reisevor9.de Aida Cruises was prohibited from terminating the cooperation with an intermediary because he was granting refunds to his customers. The court ruled that fixed prices violated competition law. Aida Cruises has already filed an appeal and is seeking clarification from the highest court.

The Association of Independent Travel Agencies (VUSR), whose chairwoman Marija Linnhoff is concerned about the situation, warns of ruinous price competition. Sales agent status protects travel agencies from price dumping and ensures uniform prices between stationary sales and online platforms. If this status were to disappear, Linnhoff sees the survival of small travel agencies at risk. The pressure from competitors who offer high discounts is already increasing. For example, banks like Raiffeisenbank Regensburg-Wenzenbach offer their customers refunds of up to seven percent, which makes the position of traditional travel agencies even more difficult.

Consequences for the industry

The ruling could jeopardize the existing business model, as the ban on sharing commissions with customers is considered a restriction of competition. Larger market players are already preparing for possible changes. Travel agency chains are developing new models based on service fees. Linnhoff fears that if Aida Cruises loses the legal dispute, it could introduce broker status for sales partners. This would mean that travel agencies would no longer sell with fixed commissions, but would have to buy trips at net prices and decide for themselves how to set their margins.

The VUSR chairwoman draws parallels to previous developments in retail, when the end of price maintenance caused many small shops to disappear. If compulsory pricing is removed, she sees the risk that online providers with high refunds will force small travel agencies out of the market. Linnhoff appeals to the industry to unite and warns of possible centralization, which could limit diversity in independent distribution.

The disputes between tour operators and agents remain a central issue in the industry. The future of sales agent status and the associated sales conditions are in the balance, and the next steps are eagerly awaited. These developments could not only have a lasting impact on the business model of many travel agencies, but also on the entire structure of travel sales.