Chengdu, April 27, 2015Tel /PRNewswire/ -- Since last year, influenced by the European Central Bank's announcement of a comprehensive quantitative easing program, the euro exchange rate has continued to decline, greatly increasing the appeal of vacations in Europe. Recently, Germany-based LeTu International Travel Agency (hereinafter referred to as "LeTu"), which specializes in customized European travel booking services, announced that it has reached a strategic merger agreement with overseas destination service provider Aole Travel. Starting in April, they will jointly develop a new B2B system to offer richer and more distinctive exclusive European tour products.
German LeTu and Aole Travel Merge Strategically to Expand European Tourism Market
Founded in Düsseldorf in 2004 and later relocated to Cologne, LeTu was formerly known as Germany China-Europe International Business Travel Co., Ltd. It is one of the designated reception agencies for Chinese tourists traveling to EU countries, certified by the EU and recognized by the China National Tourism Administration. At the end of 2012, it was renamed LeTu International Travel Agency, and at the same time, launched the wholesale brand "LeTu Europe," dedicated to serving major tourism partners in the southwest region by providing a series of distinctive European tour products.
Established in Sydney, Australia in 2010, Aole Travel is a well-known local Chinese travel agency offering booking and distribution services for independent travel attractions and activities abroad. In 2013, it established its China headquarters. Aole Travel aims to solve users' needs for food, accommodation, and entertainment at overseas destinations, with main business covering short-distance tours, specialty activities, show tickets, city passes, hotel bookings, airport transfers, and chartered vehicles. It also provides customized travel options such as family trips, honeymoon tours, and shopping tours.
In March this year, after securing tens of millions of RMB in Series A funding from Gobi Partners, Aole Travel accelerated its push into the multi-destination independent travel market. In addition to its existing independent travel routes in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Southeast Asia, it extended its overseas independent travel service reach to Europe. The strategic merger with LeTu undoubtedly fills the gap in Aole Travel’s European product line and lays a solid foundation for its expansion into the European market.
In recent years, the overseas travel market has increasingly shown trends of vertical industry development and personalized outbound tourism. LeTu has always focused on the niche market of customized European travel, providing both customers and partners with uniquely priced European tour products such as all-over-Europe group tours, mini independent trips, fly-drive packages, individual service bookings, travel visas, flight and hotel reservations, overseas car rentals, overseas tour guide services, and private group services.
"Times are changing, and the booking methods of mainstream tourists have fundamentally shifted," said Lin Juan (Fiona LIN), head of LeTu. "As a ground operator specializing in customized European product bookings, in order to continuously and stably provide competitive travel products and business support to our partners, we hit it off with Aole Travel, which originates from Australia. With a model that combines traditional travel agencies and the internet, we hope to create infinite possibilities where 1+1 equals N."
According to He Jianyu (James HE), head of Aole Travel, following the launch of the strategic merger, LeTu will build on its core business and collaborate with Aole Travel to jointly promote a series of high-value-for-money European independent travel products, including exclusive custom freeform tours across Europe, fly-drive packages, special discounted group tours, and overseas tour guide services. Meanwhile, with technical support from Aole Travel, LeTu expects to launch a new B2B online booking system in July, while its original traditional European wholesale business will be temporarily suspended from May to June. In the future, LeTu will continue to expand its partner market through the B2B online booking system developed by Aole Travel, providing Chinese tour operators with more real-time and convenient European travel booking services, as well as a richer and more fragmented range of overseas travel products.