The AER travel group aims to counter the cashback trend with a new strategy. At its annual meeting in Strasbourg, the sales organization presented its “Nordstern” plan to increase market visibility. The AER Group and its travel agency cooperation want to use the specialization of their member offices to stand against the current wave of cashback offers. This issue gained new urgency following the announced expansion of the Rewe bonus program to include travel.
Specialization as the defense against price comparison
Nicolai Kazik, the CEO of the AER cooperation, stated at the conference that the cashback topic will remain. Kazik said that the group must distance itself from price comparisons through specialization. The CEO criticized the Rewe bonus model, describing it as a shock that tour operators are now adding cashback to their products. Rainer Hageloch, head of the AER Touristik AG holding, added that this development must be fought with “all one’s might.” The group sees the technical solutions and contract design with tour operators as the key to success. They also plan to further develop the Special Tour Operator Portal Axelot from the Viator Group.
Project Nordstern is the strategic restructuring measure under the AER Touristik umbrella. Rainer Hageloch outlined the project, which focuses on improving member cooperation and making the AER Group more visible in the market. The holding together with partners generates over seven billion euros in revenue. This figure includes 3.7 billion from its own travel agencies and tour operators, as well as 3 billion from distribution partners like the consolidator Aerticket. Despite holding the world’s best flight products and special tour operators, the group ranks third behind TUI and Dertour. The leadership believes they are not extracting enough value from these assets. To change this, the business areas of cooperation, services, flights, tour operators, and technology must be better integrated.
Heike Czalaun, a new member of the AER Touristik board, mentioned specific initiatives already underway. These include improving IT security standards, establishing uniform reporting, and building a joint financial and investment strategy. The members, which make up about 900 companies, consist of travel agencies and tour operators in equal parts. Nicolai Kazik emphasized that while the members must act and develop together, they remain the entrepreneurs who ultimately make the decisions. He urged the 350 participants at the meeting to network further to strengthen the collective position.
2026 outlook and mixed performance
For the end of 2026, AER Touristik CEO Rainer Hageloch presented a mixed performance report. He described the year as “damn difficult” due to the Iran war, unpredictable US tariff policies, and a poor consumer climate. Despite these external factors, Hageloch characterized the year as “robust.” The flight business saw revenue at “plusminus zero,” while cooperation revenue was only slightly below the previous year. The tour operator business showed a mixed picture. While package tour providers suffered from negative developments, specialists achieved good results, especially those not directly affected by the Middle East crisis.