BundesForum Kinder- und Jugendreisen e.V.

What BundesForum Kinder- und Jugendreisen e.V. does

BundesForum Kinder- und Jugendreisen e.V. is a Berlin-based registered non-profit association (e.V., founded 1997) that functions as the national umbrella federation (Dachverband) for Germany's children and youth travel sector. Its members include the major national actors in the field — the German Youth Hostel Association (DJH), Reisenetz, Martas Gästehäuser, BAG Katholisches Jugendreisen, Verband Deutscher Schullandheime, Kolpingwerk, Deutsche Sportjugend, the Bundesverband Individual- und Erlebnispädagogik, and roughly a dozen other provider associations — together representing the organized supply side of supervised youth travel, school camps, and youth accommodations in Germany.

The organization's core offerings center on three pillars: (i) the QMJ (Qualit\u00e4tsmanagement Kinder- und Jugendreisen) quality certification system for accommodations and trip organizers, distributed via the hashtag-q platform; (ii) a portfolio of training products including the modular HausKompetenz qualification program (\u20ac79/module), seasonal Teamerseminare for trip supervisors, and the annual three-day H\u00e4usertreffen conference; and (iii) advocacy and research outputs, notably the 2024 national study on youth accommodations co-published with Evangelische Hochschule Ludwigsburg under BMFSFJ funding, plus position papers on protection concepts, inclusion, and tourism policy. Supporting infrastructure is conventional — Zoom for online training, CleverReach for newsletters, Outlook/Google Calendar for events, ProvenExpert for reviews — with no proprietary technology platform.

Commercially, BundesForum operates as a member-funded association. Recurring membership dues from affiliated organizations form the base, supplemented by earmarked BMFSFJ project grants under the federal Children and Youth Plan (KJP), pay-as-you-go training and seminar fees (\u20ac30–\u20ac79 per session/module), and modest publication sales (\u20ac5 per copy of protection guidelines). A six-person Berlin staff executes operations, with governance provided by a representative board drawn from the member organizations. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The organization serves a structurally declining market — youth accommodation facilities are estimated to have fallen by roughly one-third since 2010 — which shapes its strategic posture toward quality defense, political advocacy, and market stabilization rather than expansion.

Name

BundesForum Kinder- und Jugendreisen e.V.

Legal name

BundesForum Kinder- und Jugendreisen e.V.

Website

https://bundesforum.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

BundesForum Kinder- und Jugendreisen e.V. is the German national umbrella federation for the children and youth travel sector, providing quality certification (QMJ), professional training (HausKompetenz, Teamerseminare), and political advocacy on behalf of its member organizations and youth accommodation providers across Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The association is funded through membership fees from its member organizations, which include bundesweit tätige Verbände, Träger und Organisationen in the Kinder- und Jugendreisen sector.
2. Government Funding / BMFSFJ: Funding from Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (BMFSFJ) as part of KJP Kinder- und Jugendplan des Bundes for studies and initiatives.
3. Publication Sales: Sale of publications such as protection concept guidelines (Schutzkonzepte) at 5.00 Euro plus shipping per copy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

BundesForum Kinder- und Jugendreisen e.V. is a registered non-profit umbrella association (Dachverband) that brings together nationwide associations, carriers, and organizations active in the German children and youth travel sector. It delivers a quality management certification system (QMJ), modular training and qualification programs (HausKompetenz, Teamerseminare), annual networking events (Häusertreffen), thematic working groups, publications and policy advocacy at the federal level. Its work centers on promoting quality standards, professional exchange, and political representation for member organizations and the broader children and youth travel infrastructure in Germany.

Product overview

BundesForum Kinder- und Jugendreisen e.V. operates as a unified association offering a portfolio of interconnected products and services centered on quality assurance, professional development, and networking for the children and youth travel sector in Germany. The core offerings include QMJ (Qualitätsmanagement) as the quality certification system, HausKompetenz as a modular qualification program for accommodation managers, and Teamerseminare as seasonal training for supervisors. These are complemented by the annual Häusertreffen event, the Runder Tisch der Unterkünfte working group, and various thematic Arbeitskreise (Quality, Personnel & Pedagogy, Inclusion, Policy). The organization also publishes research and educational materials. Together, these products form a comprehensive ecosystem supporting quality standards, professional development, and knowledge exchange across Germany's children and youth travel infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• QMJ Qualitätsmanagement Kinder- und Jugendreisen

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.8 million guests served annually across 3,000-4,000 youth accommodation facilities

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Unabhängige Beauftragte für Fragen des sexuellen Kindesmissbrauchs (UBSKM) - Kerstin ClauscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2025Collaboration on protection concepts and child safety in youth travel. BundesForum supports the development and implementation of comprehensive protection concepts against sexualized violence in cooperation with the government office.
• Evangelische Hochschule Ludwigsburg – Forschungsgruppe JugendarbeitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for the study 'Kinder- und Jugendunterkünfte in Deutschland: Zahlen, Daten, Fakten' conducted in summer 2024. The university conducted the research and analysis, providing academic rigor to the study on youth accommodation infrastructure in Germany.
• Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (BMFSFJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment funding for the study on children and youth accommodations under the KJP Kinder- und Jugendplan des Bundes (Federal Children and Youth Plan).
• Reisenetz – Fachverband für Kinder- und Jugendreisen e.V.coreOthersMember organization of BundesForum. Reisenetz is the professional association for children and youth travel in Germany, represented in the board by Knuth Gründer.
• Deutsches Jugendherbergswerk (DJH)coreOthersMember organization represented on the board by Miriam Wolters. DJH is the German Youth Hostel Association, a major provider of youth accommodation.
• martas GästehäusercoreOthersMember organization represented by Jens-Martin Krieg on the board. martas operates guest houses for youth travel.
• BAG Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Katholisches JugendreisenminorOthersMember organization representing Catholic youth travel providers in Germany.
• Bundesverband Individual- und Erlebnispädagogik e.V. (be)minorOthersMember organization representing adventure and experiential pedagogy providers.
• Verband Deutscher SchullandheimeminorOthersMember organization representing German school camp associations, represented by Heiko Frost as board member.
• Transfer e.V.minorOthersMember organization active in youth travel, co-publisher of protection concepts guidelines.
• Gemeinnützige Bildungsinitiative 'mehr als lernen'minorOthersNon-profit educational initiative listed as a partner of BundesForum.
• ITB BerlinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual presence at ITB Berlin trade show, the world's leading tourism fair, for networking and presenting quality standards.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Deutsches Jugendherbergswerk (DJH): German Youth Hostel Association, a major provider and member of BundesForum. Directly comparable as a national membership-based organization serving youth accommodation providers and travelers across Germany.
• Reisenetz \u2013 Fachverband f\u00fcr Kinder- und Jugendreisen e.V. Specialized trade association for children and youth travel operators in Germany, represented on BundesForum's board. Direct peer as a like-minded membership body organizing the same operator segment.
• Verband Deutscher Schullandheime e.V. German school-camp association representing Schullandheim providers, a BundesForum board member. Direct peer serving an overlapping subset of youth accommodation providers.
• BAG Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Katholisches Jugendreisen: Catholic youth travel working group representing confessional operators in Germany, a BundesForum member. Direct peer operating a parallel membership federation for a religious sub-segment.
• Bundesverband Individual- und Erlebnisp\u00e4dagogik e.V. (be): Federal association for experiential and outdoor pedagogy providers in Germany, a BundesForum member. Comparable as a trade body offering training, quality frameworks, and advocacy to youth-education providers.
• Kolpingwerk Deutschland: German Catholic social association operating Kolping youth accommodations and a BundesForum member. Direct peer combining hospitality operations with a values-based membership federation structure.

Broad incumbents

• Deutsche Sportjugend im DOSB (dsj): Youth organization of the German Olympic Sports Confederation, a BundesForum member. Comparable as a large federal membership body running youth programs, training, and policy advocacy across Germany.
• Arbeitsgemeinschaft f\u00fcr Kinder- und Jugendhilfe (AGJ): Umbrella association for child and youth welfare organizations in Germany. Broader incumbent that overlaps with BundesForum's advocacy and policy engagement on youth welfare topics, particularly under SGB VIII.

Regional players

• Fachverband Deutscher Sprachreise-Veranstalter (FDSV): German trade association for language travel providers, a BundesForum member. Comparable as a national industry body running quality standards and operator certification in an adjacent youth travel sub-segment.

Others

• Deutsches Jugendinstitut (DJI): Federal research institute on child and youth issues. Adjacent partner producing applied research BundesForum can leverage for advocacy, with comparable focus on German youth welfare data and policy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about BundesForum Kinder- und Jugendreisen e.V.