DERTOUR and its sister brands ITS and Meiers Weltreisen have stepped up their game once again for the winter and are offering their most extensive programme to date for experiences in the snow, round trips in faraway places and beach holidays in the sun. A strong focus: exclusive partnerships with hoteliers. Here in one, our colleagues tell us where the journey is heading, what's new and how prices and demand are developing.
The product range for the 2025/2026 winter season includes more than 1,200 round trips worldwide, including numerous customisable itineraries, as well as the most popular hotels in the most popular holiday destinations. Currently, 350 hotels that are particularly popular with guests and have above-average recommendation rates can be booked exclusively with DERTOUR and there are more to come: "Next winter, we will once again focus strongly on exclusive partnerships with hoteliers. We are aiming for double-digit growth in our exclusive properties," says Sven Schikarsky, Managing Director Product DERTOUR Germany. In addition, DERTOUR tour operators offer various tailor-made catalogues for specific target groups - including families, wellness holidaymakers, active travellers, golfers and culture lovers. "We bring the greatest diversity of target groups to the German tour operator market," explains Sven Schikarsky.
The tour operator is currently experiencing high demand for winter holidays: "We currently have an 11 percent increase in guests compared to the previous year," says Mark Tantz, Managing Director Operations DERTOUR Germany. More than 80 per cent of the hotel and round trip offers for the 2025/26 winter season can already be booked. "That's earlier than ever before," says Tantz.
The most popular winter destinations on short and medium-haul routes are Spain (including the Balearic and Canary Islands), Egypt, Turkey, Germany and Tunisia. On long-haul routes, Thailand, the Indian Ocean (including the Maldives and Mauritius), the Caribbean (including the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Cuba), the United Arab Emirates (including Dubai and Abu Dhabi) and North America (USA and Canada) are the most popular destinations.
Thanks to high early booking discounts, savings of up to 45 per cent are possible. "Holidaymakers who want to secure the most popular hotels in the sun or directly on the slopes at the best price should make their decision early. That way, they benefit from the widest selection of offers and the highest price advantages," says Schikarsky. There are also big savings to be made on long-term holidays: those who want to escape the cold temperatures can save up to 40 per cent.
"Heated pools are an absolute highlight in winter - and we have plenty of them in our programme that offer the feeling of summer just a few hours' flight from Germany," says Sven Schikarsky. This is the case at the family-friendly Sporthotel Monte Feliz - powered by Playitas on Gran Canaria. The complex was completely renovated for the winter and offers an extensive sports programme with tennis and padel courts, a multi-purpose sports field and a cycling centre.
©AdobeStock | Eric Gevaert | Sharm el sheikh
Swim-up rooms are very popular in Egypt , some with heated pools. Demand for Egypt is generally very high in the coming winter: a stable price level, high-quality hotels, beautiful beaches and guaranteed sunshine make the destination a big winner in the medium-haul segment. DERTOUR has therefore expanded its offer for the popular Egyptian seaside resort of Sharm El Sheikh by more than a third to a total of 27 hotels & resorts, including hotels from popular hotel chains such as Jaz, Sunrise and Rixos. New non-stop flights from Germany, for example from Corendon, make the destination even more attractive.
In Hurghada, the ananea Hurghada is looking forward to its first winter season: The adults-only resort has 114 rooms, including some with a private jacuzzi for a particularly exclusive holiday experience.
The Sentido Marillia Resort & Spa in Tunisia is also entering its first winter season. The resort will reopen in summer 2025 following a renovation.
©Westend61 GmbH
In Germany , the classic ski regions in southern Germany score highly with modern ski resorts, family-run accommodation and excellent tourist infrastructure. Wellness holidays are still very popular in winter: the SEETELHOTEL Pommerscher Hof on Usedom, not far from the sandy beach and the Heringsdorf pier, can be booked exclusively with DERTOUR. The renovated, listed building in the style of spa architecture offers a large terrace and a light-flooded conservatory, its own coffee roastery and a 1,200 square metre oriental spa area. City breaks are also very popular in winter, especially during Advent and Christmas. The top city destinations in Europe are London and Paris, while Hamburg and Berlin are the most popular destinations for city breaks in Germany.
© DERTOUR | Eric Gevaert | Thailand, Sentido Khao Lak
"Next winter, Thailand will once again be one of the most popular holiday destinations abroad. The country is diverse: it is ideal for newcomers to Asia and also for repeat guests," says Sven Schikarsky. DERTOUR and Meiers Weltreisen have the largest range of tour operators for Thailand on the German market: the programmes include around 300 hotels and 28 round trips and are being continuously expanded. A new addition is the small group tour "Route of the South", which starts in the vibrant metropolis of Bangkok and ends in Phuket. The journey is the destination, as the tour takes you past temples, pineapple plantations, waterfalls and national parks. After the eventful round trip, you can enjoy a relaxing beach extension on Phuket or in Khao Lak. For example at the new ananea Beyond Khaolak, which is located on the kilometre-long Pakweep Beach. It opens after extensive renovations with 177 renovated villas, some of which have a private pool. All villas are at least 60 square metres in size and are set in extensive tropical gardens.
©Shutterstock | SennaRelax | Maldives
Destinations in the Indian Ocean are traditionally heavily booked in the German winter months. This is why the portfolio is constantly being expanded here too. In the Maldives , the new ananea Madivaru Maldives is set for its first winter season. Three-bedroom villas can be booked at the recently opened family-friendly luxury resort. It is located on two interconnected islands in a large lagoon and is surrounded by white sandy beaches. The species-rich house reef makes the hotel the ideal place for divers and snorkellers, and the 20-minute seaplane transfer is included in the price.
La Réunion also offers a perfect break from the German winter and can be ideally combined with a beach holiday in Mauritius. With its impressive volcanic landscapes and rich culture, the island is a natural paradise for active holidaymakers. A new addition to the programme is the tour "The Mafate Valley: A unique hiking paradise". Guests experience a special hiking highlight here, as the Mafate basin can only be reached on foot or by helicopter. The hikes lead through breathtaking landscapes and overnight stays are in simple hikers' huts. Helicopter excursions over the island are a new addition to the programme.
©DERTOUR, Caribbean
"The Caribbean has ideal weather for beach holidays from December to April. The Caribbean also scores with an attractive price-performance ratio. We have great new offers - also for families," says Schikarsky. Many hotels in the DERTOUR and Meiers Weltreisen programme offer large family rooms and great discounts for children. In the Dominican Republic , for example, the Viva Miches by Wyndham in the Miches region: up to two children up to the age of 13 stay free of charge in their parents' room. The family-friendly all-inclusive resort Dreams Playa Esmeralda Resort & Spa in Miches is also ideal for families. This resort, which opened in 2025, offers children a water park with numerous water slides, a baby and children's club, all-inclusive with a children's buffet and a large sports and entertainment programme.
©DERTOUR | Dubai
Numerous hours of sunshine, family rooms, all-inclusive catering and a wide range of leisure activities with water parks - the United Arab Emirates offer all this and more.
"Dubai in particular, with its luxurious hotels, is very popular in winter. Budget-oriented guests will also find a great hotel with a very good price-performance ratio here," says Sven Schikarsky. 16 new properties in all categories have been added to the programme for the coming winter. These include the newly opened Hotel Mama Shelter, whose unconventional and colourful design makes it the perfect Instagram backdrop. The new Dubai City Hotel Roulette concept from DERTOUR offers affordable luxury holidays: book either a 4- or 5-star hotel and stay for four or seven nights (individual extension possible). Guests will find out which luxury hotel they will be staying in shortly before departure. "This new offer always provides a particularly attractive price-performance ratio and an exciting moment of surprise," says Schikarsky.
©DERTOUR | Canada
Winter holidaymakers looking for a very special snow experience can find it in the mountains of Canada. DERTOUR is expanding its existing programme in North America to include hotels and excursions in the winter sports resorts of Whistler, Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper. New customised round trips have been created that combine various ski highlights through the winter wonderland of British Columbia and Alberta. For example, the tours "Ski Best of the West Sun Peaks & Revelstoke" and "Ski Powder Highway - British Columbia", which can only be booked in travel agencies and customised there using the DERTOUR tour planner.
Unique moment trips worldwide with Meiers Weltreisen The long-haul travel specialist Meiers Weltreisen is offering more than 400 round trips worldwide this winter, 83 of which are so-called unique moments trips, with moments of longing and experiences off the beaten track. For very individual experiences and a stress-free holiday, Meiers Weltreisen offers a free concierge service with personal contacts on site in many countries. From next winter, this service will also be offered in Oman and Kenya.
Adventure holidays will also be very popular in the coming winter. Holidaymakers want to experience more, have more authentic experiences and create more lasting memories. This is why DERTOUR has expanded its adventure travel programme and added 57 round trips to 33 destinations to the catalogue, including six new trips - for example trips to Argentina with a focus on nature and activities and to Switzerland (rail travel). There is a good chance of catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights on the "Aurora Village - Northern Lights" adventure trip in Canada and the "Pearl of Lake Inari" trip to Finland. In the round trip segment, DERTOUR is further expanding its range of more sustainable offers: The one-week more sustainable round trip "Tunisia's Treasures - Cultural and Culinary Highlights" includes a cycling adventure in Carthage, a workshop on a farm, a culinary journey through Sousse and a discovery tour in Nabeul.
Holidays in the luxury travel segment are still booming: The luxury tour operator DERTOUR Deluxe has expanded its portfolio for the coming winter by ten per cent due to increased demand. 54 new hotels, ten new round trips, four new ship tours and two new destinations - the Philippines and India - have been added to the already large winter programme.
"We are seeing great demand for global wellness holidays with holistic approaches that promote physical relaxation and mental health alongside traditional treatments. This can include yoga, meditation, healthy eating and relaxation techniques," says Sven Schikarsky. The combination of golf and wellness holidays is also becoming increasingly popular, says Schikarsky. DERTOUR has therefore expanded these offers in many countries.
If you want to escape the dreary winter weather at home and plan a longer holiday in the warmth, the DERTOUR Group tour operators have a wide range of offers with long-term benefits. Thailand is a classic winter holiday destination with a very good price-performance ratio. There is a 40 per cent long-term discount at the Hotel Proud Phuket, for example. A stay of 12 nights or more at the luxurious Anantara Hua Hin is also 40 per cent cheaper in certain room categories. Egypt, Tunisia and the Canary Islands are also very popular long-term destinations, where long-term holidaymakers benefit from discounts of up to 25 per cent - for example in Tunisia at Les Orangers Beach Resort and The Orangers Garden Villas & Bungalows for stays of 21 days or more. Both hotels can be booked exclusively with DERTOUR. In Gran Canaria, the Hotel Europalace offers a 20 per cent discount from 28 days.
Many hotels and apartment complexes in the long-stay destinations are ideally suited to long-stay holidaymakers. They offer a range of options from bed only to all-inclusive at attractive special prices. A varied sports and entertainment programme is also important: language, cooking and sports courses as well as various supporting programmes ensure that time is never boring. Good to know: many hotels work closely with local German-speaking doctors.