Swiss Travel Association

What Swiss Travel Association does

Swiss Travel Association (STAR), legally Verband der Schweizerischen Reisebüros, is a Swiss trade association founded in 1995 that represents over 300 Swiss travel agencies and tourism enterprises whose combined annual revenue is approximately CHF 1 billion. The association operates from Birmensdorf, Switzerland, with a small core team (1-10 employees) and delivers value to members through collective bargaining, technology platforms, booking infrastructure, and consumer trust mechanisms.

STAR's product and service architecture centers on three wholly-owned subsidiaries: STAR Enterprises AG (commercial services and the SKY mid-backoffice SaaS), Skyways by STAR AG (internet technology), and Swiss Travel Security (STS, customer money protection insurance). The SKY platform, in development since 2023 and priced at approximately CHF 333 per month for three licenses, integrates CRM, order management, quote/invoicing, accounting, and travel documentation in a single web-based system, with migration support for agencies moving from the Hotelplan HIT system. AERTiCKET Cockpit, accessed via STAR's collective IATA code, gives member agencies global GDS content, over 40 NDC connections, and international fares from more than 100 markets without requiring their own IATA license.

STAR's business model combines recurring membership fees from member agencies with transaction-based kickbacks from AERTiCKET (CHF 1.00-3.00 per ticket and 0.5-1.5% on holiday revenue) and SaaS subscription revenue from SKY. Additional revenue-adjacent services include WebBasic (technology access for non-members), the STAR travel industry job portal, and preferential Booking.com rates for members. STAR is privately organized as a Verein (association), is not backed by external venture or private equity investors, and operates exclusively in Switzerland.

Name

Swiss Travel Association

Legal name

Swiss Travel Association (STAR), Verband der Schweizerischen Reisebüros

Website

https://star.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Swiss Travel Association (STAR) is a Swiss trade association founded in 1995 representing over 300 Swiss travel agencies that collectively generate approximately CHF 1 billion annually. It delivers collective technology (SKY SaaS, AERTiCKET Cockpit), customer money protection (STS), and supplier bargaining power to its SMB members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmensdorf

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: STAR generates revenue through membership fees from over 300 Swiss travel agencies. Members receive access to collective benefits, technology platforms, booking tools, and partner programs.
2. AERTiCKET Partnership Commissions: STAR earns kickback commissions from AERTiCKET partnership based on ticket volume and Cockpit Holidays/AER 360 revenue. Kickbacks range from CHF 1.00-3.00 per ticket and 0.5-1.5% on holiday revenue, distributed to member agencies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Swiss Travel Association (STAR) is a Swiss trade association founded in 1995 that represents over 300 Swiss travel agencies. It sells membership benefits including collective purchasing power, technology platforms (SKY web-based SaaS mid-backoffice system, WebBasic), flight booking tools (AERTiCKET Cockpit), and customer money protection through its Swiss Travel Security (STS) subsidiary.

Product overview

Swiss Travel Association (STAR) operates as a platform-plus-modules architecture, with STAR as the core association representing over 300 Swiss travel agencies. The ecosystem includes STAR Enterprises AG (commercial business entity supplying tourism services), Skyways by STAR AG (internet technology provider), and Swiss Travel Security (customer money protection). Key technology products include SKY (web-based mid-backoffice SaaS combining CRM, order management, invoicing, and accounting) and AERTiCKET Cockpit (flight booking and ticketing with GDS/NDC connectivity). STAR also provides member login (STAR Office), web services for non-members (WebBasic), and a job portal for the travel industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SKY: Web-based SaaS mid-backoffice system developed by STAR Enterprises, integrating CRM, order management, quote/invoicing, accounting, and travel documentation in a single platform.
• Cockpit Holidays

Products and services

• SKY Mid-Backoffice System A web-based SaaS mid-backoffice system that integrates CRM, order management, quotation and invoicing, accounting, and travel documentation in a single platform for STAR member travel agencies.
• AERTiCKET Cockpit Flight booking and ticketing system providing global GDS content, over 40 NDC connections, international fares from more than 100 markets, and airline direct interfaces. Also includes Cockpit Holidays for land services bookings with 15% commission.
• Swiss Travel Security (STS) Customer money protection and insolvency insurance for Swiss travel agencies, securing consumer payments for package travel and individual flight bookings in case of agency insolvency.
• WebBasic Web-based services platform available to non-STAR members through a registration system, providing basic technology access for travel agencies.
• STAR Travel Agency Job Portal Dedicated job portal for the Swiss travel industry connecting employers with candidates seeking travel industry employment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 member agencies with combined annual revenue of approximately CHF 1 billion
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AERTiCKET Suisse AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationAERTiCKET provides STAR members with access to Cockpit, a flight booking and ticketing system with global GDS content, over 40 NDC connections, international fares from more than 100 markets. Members without their own IATA license can book through STAR's collective code. Kickback commissions are shared with member agencies based on ticket volume.
• Swiss Travel Security (STS)coreOthersSTS provides customer money protection insurance for STAR member agencies. It guarantees consumers reimbursement of paid amounts and return travel in case of member agency insolvency or bankruptcy. This is a critical trust mechanism for the Swiss travel market.
• STAR Enterprises AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationSTAR Enterprises AG is the commercial arm of STAR, supplying member travel agencies with services in the tourism sector including technology platforms like SKY mid-backoffice system and WebBasic.
• Skyways By Star AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationSkyways by STAR AG is the internet technology company of STAR, providing digital platforms and solutions for member agencies.
• Booking.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSTAR offers special conditions with Booking.com for member travel agencies, providing preferential rates or commissions for bookings made through the platform.
• HotelplanminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner travel company offering tour packages and travel services to STAR member agencies and their customers.
• TUIminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal travel company partner providing tour packages and travel services through STAR member agencies.
• SunnyCarsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCar rental partner offering vehicle hire services through STAR member agencies.
• MSC CruisesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCruise partner offering cruise packages through STAR member agencies.
• Schweizer Reise-Verband (SRV)minorOthersSwiss Travel Association is related to the Swiss Travel Association (SRV), the primary industry association for Swiss travel agencies.
• dertour suisseminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwiss tour operator partner offering travel packages through STAR member agencies.
• Schauinsland ReisenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman tour operator partner offering travel packages to STAR member agencies.
• getyourguideminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTours and activities partner providing booking platform for STAR member agencies.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Hotelplan Group: Major Swiss-headquartered tour operator and travel group, named as a STAR channel partner. Comparable Swiss travel market presence with overlapping supplier relationships and customer base, though operating as a tour operator rather than a trade body.

Direct peers

• American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA): The largest US travel advisor trade association, providing advocacy, supplier relationships, education, and member tools for retail travel agencies. Functionally analogous to STAR's role in Switzerland, although operating at vastly larger scale.
• ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents): UK travel association combining member representation, a financial protection scheme for consumers, and supplier partnerships for member agencies. Closely mirrors STAR's combination of trade body function plus Swiss Travel Security-style customer protection.
• dertour suisse: Swiss subsidiary of DER Touristik offering tour packages through STAR member agencies. Comparable Swiss-market tour operator with direct distribution overlap via STAR's membership network.
• Deutscher Reiseverband (DRV): Germany's national travel trade association representing tour operators, travel agencies, and tourism service providers. Most comparable European peer given shared language, geographic proximity, and overlap with STAR's supplier partner set.
• AERTiCKET Suisse AG: STAR's flight booking technology partner, providing GDS access and ticketing infrastructure. Directly comparable given overlapping Swiss flight-ticketing distribution role and explicit commercial partnership in the data.
• Schweizer Reise-Verband (SRV): The other referenced Swiss travel agency industry association. Operates the same trade-association role for Swiss travel agencies and is explicitly identified in STAR's own data as a related industry body, making it the closest functional peer.

Broad incumbents

• TUI: Global tour operator listed as a STAR channel partner with tour packages sold through member agencies. Comparable in the travel supplier ecosystem, addressing the same end-traveler base via different distribution channels.
• Amadeus IT Group: Global GDS and travel technology provider whose mid/back-office and booking platforms compete directly with STAR's AERTiCKET Cockpit access and indirectly with SKY. Relevant as the dominant incumbent in STAR's addressable tech categories.
• Sabre Corporation: Major GDS and travel technology vendor explicitly listed as a STAR technology partner. Comparable as a provider of the underlying booking infrastructure that STAR resells through Cockpit and competes against via SKY.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/STARSchweiz
• Facebookfacebook.com/SwissTravelAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swiss-travel-association-star

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 records

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 Swiss Travel Association