Dertour Buys ID Riva Tours, Specialists in Croatia Travel

Lauren Simmonds

dertour i.d. riva tours

January the 23rd, 2025 – Germany’s Dertour has purchased ID Riva Tours, specialists in travel in Croatia, with 200 holiday homes under their belt.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/VL/Radmila Kovacevic writes, the only specialised tour operator for trips to Croatia, Germany’s ID Riva Tours, is no longer majority-owned by Selimir Ognjenović. The new owner of ID Riva Tours, whose guests have been integral to all the successes of Croatian tourism since 1995, is the large German tour operator Dertour.

The specialised tour operator of Croatian origin is being taken over by Dertour Deutschland GmbH, which, according to the press release, is strengthening its offer in the special trips segment. Otherwise, ID Riva Tours is one of the most famous providers of travel services to Croatia with a focus on small ship cruises, group trips and the rental of holiday homes and apartments. This takeover should be completed in the first quarter of 2025, subject to the approval of the competent merger control authorities.

Otherwise, ID Riva tours has more than 200 holiday homes in Croatia and maintains partnerships with almost 400 Croatian hotels and tourist resorts. In addition, ID Riva Tours exclusively offers more than 30 motor sailing boats and yachts on the market. Annually, it brings about 50,000 to 70,000 tourists to Croatia. With this acquisition, Dertour is further expanding its product range to over 30 specialised brands gathered under the umbrella of the Dertour Group. Incidentally, last year this segment was further strengthened by the acquisition of the British provider of luxury vacation homes, Solmar Villas.

“With this step, we’re investing in Croatia as one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in all of Europe,” emphasised Dr. Ingo Burmester, Dertour’s CEO for Central Europe and member of the Dertour Group’s executive board.

“At the same time, we’re very pleased to be working with I.D. Riva Tours in order to strengthen our growing portfolio of specialised travel providers. Not only are we acquiring a renowned brand with over 30 years of experience, but also teams with deep product knowledge and a high level of expertise in organising trips to Croatia,” stated Burmester.

The director of I.D. Riva Tours, Konstantin Gaitanides, added that Dertour is an ideal partner.

“Joining the Dertour group is a logical step that allows us to continue to offer authentic travel experiences to Croatia, while also using the rich experience and wide reach of Dertour Germany,” stated Gaitanides.

It has also been revealed that the established brand ID Riva Tours will continue to operate and develop under the umbrella of Dertour and that existing employees are also being taken over as part of the acquisition. The company ID Riva Tours will continue to operate in Poreč and Trogir, as well as in Grafelfing near Munich. There will be no changes for guests or partners, and the booking methods and contact persons will remain the same. In the long term, Dertours plans further expansion throughout Croatia. In this process, cooperation with the local agency of the Dertour group, Destination Touristik Service, with offices in Pula and Makarska, will play a key role. The opening of new, joint branches across Croatia is also planned.

Incidentally, Detour Deutschland, which is part of the wider Dertour group, includes the tour operators Dertour, ITS, and Meiers Weltreise. They offer modular trips, long-distance and package trips in 179 countries around the world. The Dertour Group is otherwise one of the leading tourism concerns in all of Europe and part of the German REWE group. Dertour itself includes more than 130 companies spanning 16 countries with more than 10,000 employees. It takes millions of guests on trips each and every year.

Founder and majority owner ID Riva Tours, Selimir, who hasn’t been the director for several years, believes that this takeover is a sign of serious confidence in Croatia as a tourist destination.

“I’m very proud that Dertour Group – Rewe, a large German concern, is the new owner of ID Riva Tours – a specialist for travel to Croatia. This takeover will ensure continuity and security for all Riva partners in private accommodation, shipowners of the Riva fleet, hoteliers, and so on. It also ensures security for valuable employees in both Germany and Croatia. There’s a lot of potential for development here,” concluded Selimir Ognjenović.

 

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