Marco Polo Travel

What Marco Polo Travel does

Marco Polo Travel (legal entity Marco Polo Reisen GmbH) is a German tour operator headquartered in Munich that organizes guided round trips for German-speaking leisure travelers, primarily serving the DACH market (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). Firmographic records indicate a founding year of 1955, while the GmbH entity itself is dated to 2017 in some sources; the company operates a catalog of approximately 256 tours spanning more than 30 countries across Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East. The business model is direct-to-consumer, with distribution through the company's e-commerce website, a free-call customer service hotline, email support, mail-order catalogs, an active traveler forum, organic social channels, and a partner travel agency (Reisebüro) network.

The product portfolio is segmented by travel format and customer profile. Entdeckerreisen im Team is the standard group tour with an average of approximately 18 participants and a Marco Polo Scout as German-speaking guide. Entdeckerreisen in der Mini-Gruppe is a premium small-group product with 4–12 participants and guaranteed departures from 4. Individuell reisen ohne Gruppe offers tailor-made private travel with personal Scout support. YOUNG LINE TRAVEL targets 20–35-year-olds with budget-friendly adventure tours, with an "ab 35" extension for older cohorts. TOP-PREIS Reisen is the value-priced tier. Pricing spans from approximately €795 (Istanbul 5 days) to €6,489 (Namibia–Botswana–Zimbabwe 17 days), with revenue supplemented by single-room supplements, optional excursions, and upgrades. The underlying technology is a standard e-commerce booking platform with no proprietary AI, no public API, and no listed integrations; tour content and supplier partnerships are the primary non-customer assets.

Revenue is generated through transactional per-person pricing on tour packages plus ancillary fees. Key supply-side partnerships include Lufthansa as the primary intercontinental airline partner, plus Discover Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, LOT Polish Airlines, Air Baltic, Finnair, and Japan Railways. The company has also implemented a sustainability partnership financing biogas plants in India to offset carbon emissions across all tours. Active operations extend through 2026 and 2027 seasons with expansion of long-haul YOUNG LINE TRAVEL destinations and the Mini-Gruppe format.

Name

Marco Polo Travel

Legal name

Marco Polo Reisen GmbH

Website

https://marco-polo-reisen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Marco Polo Travel (Marco Polo Reisen GmbH) is a Munich-based German tour operator offering approximately 256 guided round trips to 30+ countries, serving German-speaking leisure travelers through standard, mini-group, individual, and youth-focused YOUNG LINE TRAVEL formats.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Guided Tour Operator Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152)

akta.pro primary industry

Small-Group Escorted Tour Operators (THAKADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private/Customized Multi-Day Tour Operators (THAKADAC), Multi-Country/Regional Circuit Tour Operators (THAKADAK), Luxury Multi-Day Tour Operators (THAKADAE)

Keywords

• Guided group tours
• Adventure travel packages
• Cultural discovery tours
• Small group tours
• Youth travel programs

Headquarters

HQ city

München

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Guided Tour Packages: Bundled tour packages including transportation (flights, bus, train), accommodation, meals, entrance fees, and German-speaking tour guides. Revenue generated through per-person pricing for group departures.
2. Tour Extensions and Optional Extras: Additional revenue from optional excursions, upgrades, single room supplements, and optional activities not included in base package pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Marco Polo Travel is a German tour operator that sells guided round-trip packages (Rundreisen) to roughly 256 destinations across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Each tour bundles international/regional flights, accommodation, meals, ground transport, entrance fees, and a German-speaking Marco Polo Scout guide, sold per person on group, mini-group, youth, or individual bases.

Product overview

Marco Polo Travel operates as a tour operator offering guided round trips (Rundreisen) worldwide, structured across multiple product lines: the core Entdeckerreisen (discovery tours) available in team format (up to 18 participants), mini-group format (4-12 participants), and individual format; the sub-brand YOUNG LINE TRAVEL targeting 20-35 year olds (and 35+ version) with budget-friendly adventure trips; and TOP-PREIS Reisen offering budget-conscious packages. All tours feature a Marco Polo Scout as experienced local or German travel leadership. The portfolio spans 256 total trips covering Europe, Africa, Asia, and long-haul destinations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• YOUNG LINE TRAVEL: Travel brand targeting young adults aged 20-35 for adventure and discovery tours
• Entdeckerreisen im Team
• Entdeckerreisen in der Mini-Gruppe
• TOP-PREIS Reisen
• Individuell reisen ohne Gruppe

Products and services

• Entdeckerreisen im Team Guided round-trip group tours with approximately 18 participants led by a Marco Polo Scout, combining sightseeing, adventure, and cultural encounters for German-speaking travelers.
• Entdeckerreisen in der Mini-Gruppe Small-group tours limited to 4–12 participants offering more spontaneity, flexibility, and individual attention, with smaller authentic accommodations and guaranteed execution from 4 participants.
• Individuell reisen ohne Gruppe Fully organized individual tours without group participation, accompanied by a personal Marco Polo Scout, with options for private car/jeep with driver or self-drive rental for couples or individuals.
• YOUNG LINE TRAVEL (20–35) Budget-friendly discovery tours in small groups for travelers aged 20–35, led by a Marco Polo Scout to beaches, clubs, and sightseeing spots, combining adventure travel with like-minded peers.
• YOUNG LINE TRAVEL ab 35 Extended version of YOUNG LINE TRAVEL for adventurers aged 35 and above, offering slightly more comfortable accommodations while maintaining the same adventurous spirit and group dynamic.
• TOP-PREIS Reisen Budget-oriented tour packages offering core Marco Polo travel experiences at reduced prices, featuring selected destinations such as Istanbul, Morocco, and Jordan with flight arrangements included.

Quantifiable outcome

• Carbon offset for all tour emissions including flights, bus, train, boat travel, and accommodations

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LufthansacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary airline partner providing flights to destinations including Japan, Baltic states, and intercontinental routes. Offers connecting flights from multiple German, Austrian, Swiss, and Luxembourg airports. Provides Economy class with tariff class K for most tours.
• Discover AirlinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAirlines used for long-haul routes, particularly for African destinations like Namibia (Frankfurt to Windhoek).
• All Nippon AirwaysminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDomestic Japanese airline for internal flights within Japan, used for Tokyo to Hiroshima route in mini-group tours.
• Royal Air MarocminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner airline for Morocco tours under TOP-PREIS category, offering flights for value-oriented Morocco itineraries.
• Royal JordanianminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAirline partner for Jordan tours under TOP-PREIS category, providing flights to Amman for Jordanian itineraries.
• LOT Polish AirlinesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional carrier option for Baltic state tours connecting from Berlin and other European cities.
• Air BalticminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBaltic regional airline used for flights to Vilnius and from Tallinn for Baltic tours. Offers connections from Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart, Vienna, and Zurich.
• FinnairminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFinnish airline offering connections to Baltic destinations as alternative routing option.
• Japan Railways (JR)coreTechnology or IntegrationJapan Rail Pass provider for Japanese tours. The JR Pass is included in tour pricing for tourist travel on Shinkansen, local trains, and public transport. Only valid for tourists entering Japan for tourism purposes.
• Carbon Offset Program (Biogas India)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability partnership financing biogas plants for small-scale farming families in India to offset greenhouse gas emissions from all tour activities including flights, bus, train, boat travel, and accommodations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Gebeco: German tour operator offering escorted group travel worldwide with comparable group sizes, destinations, and customer base — a head-to-head competitor in the DACH escorted-tour segment.
• Wikinger Reisen: German tour operator specializing in active, adventure, and hiking tours — directly comparable to Marco Polo's adventure and jeep-safari offerings for the German-speaking outdoor traveler segment.
• Studiosus Reisen: Leading German guided-tour operator with a similar demographic and product positioning (small-group escorted cultural tours), headquartered in Munich — the most direct comparable to Marco Polo Reisen in the DACH market.
• Chamäleon Reisen: Berlin-based German tour operator offering small-group adventure and discovery tours worldwide — directly comparable product format (small group, expert guides, cultural-immersion focus) and DACH customer base.
• Hauser Exkursionen: Munich-based German tour operator focused on walking, hiking, and trekking tours worldwide — overlaps with Marco Polo's active and adventure product lines for the German-speaking market.
• ASI Reisen: Austrian tour operator specializing in adventure, trekking, and expedition travel for German-speaking customers — directly comparable active-travel positioning and customer demographic.

Broad incumbents

• TUI Group: Global tourism conglomerate with strong German-market tour operations (TUI Deutschland). Overlaps with Marco Polo's escorted tour business but operates across a vastly broader product, geography, and distribution footprint.
• DER Touristik: Major German tour-operator group (part of REWE Group) offering escorted tours across a much wider portfolio and distribution scale — competes for the same German-speaking customers but at significantly greater scale and breadth.
• FTI Group: Large Munich-based tour operator group serving the German market with package tours, escorted trips, and specialty travel — a broader incumbent competing across multiple price points and destinations.
• Dertour: Established German tour operator (part of DER Touristik) with guided tours, package holidays, and travel agency distribution — overlapping customer base with Marco Polo but at greater scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/marcopoloentdecker
• Instagraminstagram.com/younglinetravel
• Xx.com/MarcoPoloReisen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Marco Polo Travel