Flight Centre Set to Expand Business Travel Presence in Germany

Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) has announced plans to expand its business travel foothold in Germany, following the acquisition of Opodo Corporate from eDreams ODIGEO for an undisclosed sum. Opodo Corporate will operate as FCTG Corporate until the end of this year and transition to Flight Centre’s flagship global travel management brand, FCM Travel Solutions, as of 1st January 2018.

FCM Travel Solutions has had a presence in Germany since 2006 through its partnership with the business travel unit of DER Touristik,  which was one of the first European corporate agencies to join FCM’s global partner network and has traded under the FCM brand for the last eleven years. Following the successful partnership, the business travel unit of DER Touristik aims to re-position itself in the German business travel market.

In order to meet both parties’ goals the network partners FCM and DER Touristik have come to an amicable agreement to end their existing partnership as of January 2018. 

Christoph Führer, Managing Director of the business travel unit of DER Touristik, highlights: “The close collaboration with FCM and the network has been a valuable asset for us in order to service our national and international clients. We would like to thank our FCM partners for the professional and fruitful collaboration.”

 “As the flagship corporate travel division of Flight Centre Travel Group, FCM operates in more than 90 countries in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas. We wanted to strengthen our equity-owned business travel presence in Northern Europe, so embarked on an acquisition strategy last year concluding an agreement with eDreams ODIGEO to acquire Travellink Corporate in several markets. This included Opodo Corporate in Germany,” commented Steve Norris, Corporate Managing Director, Flight Centre Travel Group.

“This investment and the potential growth of our own corporate travel business in Germany means that FCM’s current partnership with DER Touristik will come to an end at the start of 2018. Our new wholly owned operation will trade as FCTG Corporate until 1st January 2018 when it will be renamed FCM Travel Solutions.”

“FCM has enjoyed an excellent relationship with the business travel unit of DER Touristik for the last eleven years, who were a valued founding partner of FCM’s global network. On behalf of FCM Travel Solutions, I would like to thank DER for their longstanding support as our partner in Germany.”