erlebe-fernreisen GmbH

What erlebe-fernreisen GmbH does

erlebe-fernreisen GmbH, doing business as 'erlebe', is a privately held German tour operator headquartered in Krefeld that has been designing and selling individual modular package travel since 2005. The core product architecture combines 650+ curated round-trip itineraries (Rundreisen) with 1,600+ modular building blocks (Reisebausteine — accommodations, activities, transfers) that customers can either book directly or assemble into personalized trips via an online Trip Builder supported by 90 in-house travel specialists. Operations span roughly 70 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, North/Central/South America, and Oceania, with bookings concentrated in DACH source markets (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). Legal protection under German package travel law (Pauschalreiserecht) and statutory insolvency cover via the DRSF fund are core to the customer promise.

The company operates a direct-to-consumer model with no third-party resellers, distributing through its website, dedicated per-destination phone lines (e.g., +49 2151 3880 141 for USA), email consultation, and appointment booking for video or phone consultations. Pricing is quote-based rather than transparent, anchored on package travel as the primary revenue stream with ancillary income from travel-insurance commissions via URV and email-marketing operations via dotdigital. Marketing is content-and-channel-heavy: an editorial blog, SEO destination pages, Google/Microsoft paid search, Facebook/Instagram/TikTok/Pinterest organic and paid social, YouTube, Spotify ads, and a WhatsApp Channel launched in 2025. A 4.8 Trustpilot score from 1,600+ reviews signals strong review-driven acquisition, and sub-brands erlebe-aktiv, erlebe-Familienreisen, and erlebe LIVE extend the proposition into active, family, and inspiration verticals.

The technology stack is conventional and marketing-led rather than product-differentiated: a website with booking/inquiry forms, Google Analytics 4 and Tag Manager, dotdigital for email, Spotler Activate for personalization, SimplyBook.me for appointment scheduling, Trustpilot for review widgeting, Cookiebot for consent management, and AIntensify for AI-powered hotline speech analysis used in QA and training. Differentiated intellectual property lies in the content library of self-developed itineraries and the specialist-consultation model, not in proprietary technology. Customer testimonials and the iteration of the Flex-Option (free through 31.07.2026) point to a sales-led GTM that supplements self-serve booking rather than fully replacing it.

Name

erlebe-fernreisen GmbH

Legal name

erlebe-fernreisen GmbH

Website

https://erlebe.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

erlebe-fernreisen GmbH is a German tour operator selling individual modular package travel — 650+ round trips and 1,600+ building blocks across 70+ countries — directly to leisure travelers and families in DACH markets via its website and 90 in-house travel specialists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Package Tour Operator

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152), Travel Agencies (56151)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury Travel Agencies (THAKAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Group, Family & Multi-Generational Travel Planning (HSACAKAK)

Keywords

• Package tour operator
• Modular travel packages
• Custom round trips
• Travel booking services
• International vacation packages

Headquarters

HQ city

Krefeld

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Package Travel (Pauschalreisen): Individual round trips and travel packages sold as package holidays under German travel law. Customers book flights, accommodations, and activities as bundled packages.
2. Travel Insurance Commission: Commission from sale of travel insurance through partner URV – Union Reiseversicherung AG. Personal data shared with insurer for policy execution.
3. Flight Booking: Flight arrangement services as part of package travel. Customers can book flights from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
4. Newsletter & Marketing Services: Newsletter subscription and email marketing services, managed through dotdigital platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

erlebe-fernreisen GmbH sells modular, individualized package travel to German-speaking customers, offering more than 650 curated round trips (Rundreisen) and over 1,600 bookable travel building blocks (Reisebausteine) across approximately 70 destinations on seven continents. Customers assemble their own itineraries from these modules online or with help from 90 in-house travel specialists, with bookings protected under German package travel law. Supporting offerings include family-focused sub-brand packages, gift vouchers, an optional Flex Option, and partner-supplied travel insurance.

Product overview

erlebe-fernreisen GmbH operates as an online tour operator specializing in individual and customized round trip travel packages. The core offering consists of a modular system combining over 650 round trips (Rundreisen) and more than 1,600 travel building blocks (Reisebausteine) that customers can book individually or combine into personalized itineraries. The product architecture centers on a self-service trip builder tool complemented by specialist consultation services. Supporting offerings include a Flex-Option for booking flexibility, family-focused travel packages, a travel blog with editorial content, newsletters with promotional incentives, gift vouchers, and travel insurance add-ons. The company serves customers primarily in German-speaking markets across approximately 70 countries worldwide, with operations based in Krefeld, Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• erlebe-aktiv: Active travel sub-brand offering hiking tours, such as hiking in Piedmont
• erlebe-Familienreisen
• erlebe LIVE

Products and services

• Individual Round Trips (Rundreisen) Curated, self-developed circular tour itineraries covering multiple destinations in one country or region, sold as package holidays under German travel law (Pauschalreisen) with flights, accommodations, and activities bundled together and customizable to traveler preferences.
• Travel Modules (Reisebausteine) Individual accommodations, activities, transfers, and excursions that travelers can add to or combine instead of round trips, allowing fully personalized itineraries from more than 1,600 available modules.
• Family Travel Packages (erlebe-Familienreisen) Specialized family-friendly round trips and modular packages with child-appropriate accommodations, age-appropriate activities, and family-tested itineraries across destinations in Africa, Europe, USA, Canada, and Asia.
• Gift Vouchers (Geschenkgutscheine) Standalone gift certificates for travel experiences that allow recipients to choose their own destination and travel modules, redeemable against the full erlebe travel portfolio.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.8 TrustScore on Trustpilot with over 1,600 positive reviews
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration20 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DRV (Deutscher Reiseverband)coreOthersMembership in the German Travel Association (DRV), which advocates for travel industry interests and promotes sustainability, child protection, and training standards. erlebe participates in DRV initiatives and standards.
• AER (Arbeitsgemeinschaft europäische Reiseunternehmen)coreOthersPartnership with AER providing access to excellent flight tariffs and negotiated rates for customers. AER is a European association of travel companies.
• DRSF (Deutscher Reisesicherungsfonds)coreOthersCustomer insolvency protection through the German Travel Security Fund (DRSF), ensuring customer payments are protected in case of company insolvency.
• TravelifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability certification partner providing neutral verification of sustainability practices in travel operations and internal processes. erlebe undergoes regular Travelife audits.
• URV – Union Reiseversicherung AGminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTravel insurance partner for offering travel insurance products. Personal data (including co-travelers) is shared with URV for policy execution when customers purchase travel insurance.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• TUI AG: Europe's largest integrated tour operator with mass-market package holidays including worldwide destinations; offers overlapping capability in custom and package tours but at much larger scale and broader portfolio than erlebe's niche focus.
• FTI Touristik GmbH: Large German tour operator competing directly in package holiday segment including worldwide long-haul destinations; broader mass-market positioning but overlapping customer acquisition channels and supplier relationships with erlebe.
• DER Touristik (DERTOUR): Major German tour operator subsidiary of REWE Group offering package tours, individual travel, and travel agency services with overlapping destinations and customer segments to erlebe, but at significantly larger scale and broader service portfolio.

Direct peers

• Meiers Weltreisen: German tour operator selling individual multi-day package tours to worldwide destinations including USA, Canada, and Africa with a similar sales-led consultation model, directly overlapping erlebe's modular offering.
• Hauser Exkursionen international GmbH: Munich-based adventure and active-tour operator offering worldwide escorted trips with a specialist-led model, comparable to erlebe-aktiv sub-brand for outdoor/adventure custom itineraries.
• Wikinger Reisen GmbH: German walking and active-tour specialist offering worldwide guided and self-guided walking trips with first-hand destination expertise from in-house specialists, very comparable to erlebe's expert-led custom travel positioning and DACH customer base.
• Studiosus Reisen München GmbH: Long-established German cultural tour operator with similar specialist-consultant emphasis, comparable content libraries of self-designed itineraries, and shared DACH customer base for high-quality custom package travel.
• Diamir Erlebnisreisen GmbH: Dresden-based specialist tour operator focused on individual adventure and discovery trips to worldwide destinations, with a comparable small-team specialist model and similar modular custom itinerary approach for DACH travelers.
• Gebeco (Gesellschaft für internationale Begegnung und Cooperation): German specialist in custom and small-group cultural tours with comparable sustainability positioning and breadth of long-haul destinations; closely comparable in target market and product structure to erlebe.
• Chamäleon Reisen GmbH & Co. KG: Berlin-based specialist tour operator offering custom individual round trips to similar long-haul destinations with a strong sustainability focus, making it the most direct comparable for erlebe's customizable, ESG-credentialed individual package travel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCnqQvK-6g...
• Facebookfacebook.com/erlebe.reisen
• Instagraminstagram.com/erlebe_reisen
• Pinterestpinterest.de/erlebe_reisen
• TikToktiktok.com/@erlebe_reisen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/erlebe

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 erlebe-fernreisen GmbH