Package Travel Initiative: New ways to enhance travel!

Package Travel Initiative: New ways to enhance travel!

The founding meeting of the Pauschalreise e.V. initiative took place in Munich on September 11, 2025, initiated by leading representatives of the tourism industry. Marina Ackermann, the new CEO, explained on the Travelholics podcast that the initiative aims to modernize and strengthen the public perception of package holidays. The association wants to offer a neutral forum that is not dominated by organizers in order to reduce prejudices against package tours and to bring their advantages to the fore. In addition to Ackermann, members of the board include Jürgen Büchy, former president of the German Travel Association, and industry consultant Berend Rieckmann.

The initiative is financed through membership fees and specific budgets. This is intended to ensure transparency in the expenditure structure. Important topics include the development of campaign-ready arguments as well as customer-friendly content for social media and the web. The intention is to support travel sales with practical materials so that they can work effectively during the busy season. A central goal of the new association is to communicate the tried and tested aspects of package holidays, such as legal protection, crisis management and predictable budgets, in a simple and understandable way.

Image improvement and dialogue

The package tour initiative has set itself three central goals: firstly, communicating the value of the package tour through media work and campaigns, secondly, supporting sales through training and argumentation aids and finally dialogue with associations, training centers and the media in order to increase the visibility of the package tour as a model for the future. To achieve this, the association is open to new members from all areas of the travel industry. A first information website is already online, and entry in the association register is planned in around four weeks.

Marina Ackermann emphasized that the new association also wants to overcome possible reservations that often get in the way of the perception of package holidays, such as the cliché that they are “too expensive” or “outdated”. Especially in a time when travel is diverse and individualized, it is important to emphasize the advantages and comfort of a package holiday. The initiative also plans to create neutral tool kits for travel sales and collaborations in order to reach a broader target group and strengthen sales-promoting communication.

Another topic that is becoming increasingly topical is the revision of the package travel directive. This will be discussed at the DRV Capital Congress on October 9th and 10th in Berlin. Cornelius Meyer, the initiator of this idea, is withdrawing from an active role and has previously emphasized the need for a neutral body for the industry. His vision also included creating a consumer protection portal for different types of travel.

The new podcast episode with Marina Ackermann is available on all common platforms and on the fvw website. Interested parties can follow the developments of the Pauschalreise e.V. initiative directly and find out more about the future of package holidays.

For detailed information, see fvw.de and touristik-aktuell.de.