The Swiss Competition Commission (Comco) is to spend four months reviewing the deal over concerns it would create a dominant market position in Switzerland and lead to increased prices, meaning a decision will now not be made until autumn.
Dertour confirmed plans to acquire Hotelplan in February, including its Swiss and UK arms. Hotelplan UK is the umbrella company for Inghams, Explore, Inntravel and Santa’s Lapland.
"The one-month preliminary review of this merger revealed indications of a dominant market position," said Comco in a statement.
“The in-depth review is intended to clarify, among other things, whether travellers in Switzerland have sufficient alternatives available to them, such as self-booking directly with hotels and airlines or via online platforms, to counteract potentially rising prices.
“It will also examine the impact of digital travel offerings on current and potential competition in the markets.”
One concern for Comco is that the two brands operate more than 150 travel agencies in Switzerland. TTG has approached Dertour for comment.
When it announced the deal, Francis Torrilla, Dertour UK’s interim chief executive, said it aligned with strategy to expand its UK portfolio of specialist brands. These include Carrier, CV Villas, Journey Latin America, Jules Verne, Kirker Holidays and Solmar Villas.
The Hotelplan deal does not include its holiday rental brand Interhome, whose sale to Germany’s HometoGo is not under review by Comco.
