Munich / Bad Homburg, October 22, 2024 – Liberta Partners, a Munich-based multi-family holding, sold a majority stake of tour operator Ameropa Reisen to AER Group, the largest tour operator network in Germany. Liberta Partners will remain a minority shareholder in the company.
Ameropa is a leading provider of rail adventure tours and offers customers an environmentally conscious travel option. The company constantly grows its sustainable travel portfolio, which includes Deutsche Bahn trains as well as other day and night trains or hotels with environmentally friendly certifications. Ameropa products are sold point-of-sale or online via partnerships with other tour operators, travel agencies and through direct sales.
Liberta Partners acquired Ameropa Reisen from Deutsche Bahn in January 2020 with the goal to expand existing partnerships, invest substantially in digitization and develop innovative offers. The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic lead to a standstill of the global travel industry. Liberta Partners was a reliable partner for Ameropa Reisen even during this difficult phase and consistently implemented its strategy despite adverse market conditions. Following an effective online relaunch and the successful expansion of direct sales, the company has returned to growth.
Dr. Peter Franke, Partner at Liberta Partners, says: “Together with Ameropa’s management, we have navigated a pandemic, successfully implemented an end-to-end digitization strategy and positioned the company for future international growth. We are delighted to now hand over Ameropa Reisen to a strategic partner, who will actively support Ameropa’s path towards sustainable and climate-friendly travel.”
Ameropa CEO Tim Dunker says: “I am delighted to welcome AER Group as new majority shareholder. At the same time, Liberta Partners continues to accompany us as a strong partner. Their support over the past years has been invaluable, especially in challenging times. Together, we will continue to elevate and scale sustainable tourism.”
Rainer Hageloch, CEO of AER Kooperation AG, says: “The commitment to climate-friendly travel is at the heart of the entire AER Group and is reflected in all units. With Ameropa, we have gained a partner with whom we want to continue to grow in line with our sustainability values.”
Ennea Capital Partners acted as advisor.
About Liberta Partners
Liberta Partners is a multi-family holding based in Munich. Liberta Partners invests in companies predominantly based in German-speaking countries with clear operational and strategic development potential, in particular corporate carve-outs and successions. We actively develop our investments within the framework of our long-term “100% Core & Care” concept. Our portfolio companies thus benefit from Liberta Partners’ innovative entrepreneurial experience. The Liberta Partners team consists of more than 20 professionals covering the areas of M&A, Corporate Development, and Legal as well as an active advisory board. For more information, please visit: www.liberta-partners.com.
About Ameropa
As a tour operator with over 70 years of experience, Ameropa specializes in city, rail and vacation tours in Germany and Europe as well as worldwide rail adventure tours. In addition, the company focuses on Europe-wide cycling and hiking tours. For short breaks in Germany, Ameropa offers attractive packages with hotel accommodation and rail travel as well as local experiences. For more information, please visit: https://www.ameropa.de/
About AER Kooperation
The AER is the home for travel agencies and tour operators. With over 900 members and a 40% share of specialist tour operators, the AER is the largest network of tour operators in Germany. The core competence lies in the aviation sector, where the origins of the AER can be found. A network of national and international shareholdings offers a high degree of synergies and secures important business areas. The topic of sustainability is firmly anchored in AER’s corporate strategy. AER’s aim is to provide its members with the best possible market positioning and to prepare them for developments in the industry. This includes consulting, services, software and conditions as well as representing their interests in politics and society.
Media Inquiries
Liberta Partners, E-Mail: presse@liberta-partners.com