{{Infobox company |name = HolidayCheck Group AG |logo = HolidayCheckGroup_AG_LOGO.jpg |type = Public |founded = 2001 |hq_location_city = Munich, Germany |key_people = Georg Hesse, CEO<br />Markus Scheuermann, CFO <br /> Nate Glissmeyer, CPO <ref name="AR 2016">{{cite web|title=Annual Report 2016|url=https://www.holidaycheckgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/2016-annual-report-for-the-HOLIDAYCHECK-GROUP-AG.pdf|website=HolidayCheck Group|publisher=HolidayCheck Group|access-date=12 December 2017}}</ref> |industry = Digital media content provider |products = Online portals |revenue = €14.47 million (2020)<ref>{{cite web |title=Annual Report 2020 |url=https://www.holidaycheckgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Annual-Report-2020-of-HolidayCheck-Group-AG-persuant-to-IFRS.pdf |website=HolidayCheckGroup |access-date=29 November 2021}}</ref> |num_employees = 470 |website = [http://www.holidaycheckgroup.com/ www.holidaycheckgroup.com] }}
'''HolidayCheck Group''' AG is an exchange-listed internet group, registered in Munich, Germany. It provides online portals for package travel reviews and bookings in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, under the HolidayCheck brand.
The group was created in 2001 as Tomorrow Focus AG by the merger of Focus Digital AG and Tomorrow Internet AG,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/0,1518,149011,00.html|title=Neue Internet-AG: Focus und Tomorrow wollen fusionieren|newspaper=Der Spiegel|date=8 August 2001}}</ref> and renamed HolidayCheck Group AG in 2016 to reflect its focus on travel businesses.<ref name="2016 name change HolidayCheck">{{cite web|title=HolidayCheck press release|url=https://www.holidaycheckgroup.com/news/aus-tomorrow-focus-ag-wird-holidaycheck-group-ag/?lang=en|website=HolidayCheck Group|publisher=HolidayCheck Group|access-date=12 December 2017}}</ref>
== Origin == HolidayCheck was started in 1999 by students in Konstanz, Germany, including Markus Schott, Hakan Öktem, Jens Freiter, Jörg Kampshoff and Sascha Vasic.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.brandeins.de/magazine/brand-eins-wirtschaftsmagazin/2016/richtig-bewerten/keine-experimente|title=Keine Experimente!|last=Molitor|first=Andreas|date=April 2016|work=brand eins|access-date=10 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.amadeus.com/at/documents/aco/at/de/S-Update%20November%202007.pdf|title=Vom Wohnzimmer in die erste Liga|date=December 2007|work=Update. Magazin für Führungskräfte im österreichischen Reisemarkt|access-date=10 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/gruender-jens-freiter-das-timing-muss-stimmen-1.3993835|title=Das Timing muss stimmen|last=Kläsgen|first=Michael|date=18 May 2018|work=Süddeutsche Zeitung|access-date=10 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.emerce.nl/nieuws/tomorrow-focus-lijft-holidaycheck-volledig|title=Tomorrow Focus lijft HolidayCheck volledig in|date=1 July 2013|work=Emerce|access-date=10 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.medialine.de/media/uploads/projekt/medialine/docs/mediainfomationen/Themenspeziale/TS_DLD_2008.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160926194022/http://www.medialine.de/media/uploads/projekt/medialine/docs/mediainfomationen/Themenspeziale/TS_DLD_2008.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=2016-09-26|title=Holidaycheck.de Urlaubsretter im Internet|last=Wolf|first=Uwe|date=January 2008|work=digital life. Die Welt von morgen|access-date=10 June 2019}}</ref>
Initially, the site was operated privately under the domain ''hotel reviews.de''. In 2003, the television station RTL reported on the portal.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Die WG-AG|last=Holzapfel|first=Tim|date=18 May 2007|work=fvw. Magazin für Touristik & Business Travel}}</ref> The ensuing publicity prompted the founders to register the site as a commercial venture, debuting on 11 November 2003.
== Operations == HolidayCheck users can book travel, compare offers and rate their experience.
The company claims 2.5 million members and 8 million reviews, from an average of 24.13 million visits and 133 million page impressions per month (June 2017).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.holidaycheck.de/werbung|title=Mediadaten|website=HolidayCheck|access-date=10 June 2019}}</ref> HolidayCheck also publishes an online travel magazine, ''Away''.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Holidaycheck startet Reisemagazin|date=6 January 2017|work=fvw. Magazin für Touristik & Business Travel}}</ref>
The company was a founding member of the Association of New Tourism (VNT), an industry group of non-corporate travel agents promoting new distribution channels, latterly the Association of Internet Travel Distribution (VIR).<ref>{{Cite news|title=HolidayCheck tritt dem VIR bei|date=15 January 2008|work=presseanzeiger.de}}</ref>
== Ownership and acquisitions == In July 2006, Hubert Burda Media Holding acquired 80 percent of the shares in HolidayCheck AG for €60 million, through its subsidiaries Burda Digital Ventures and Tomorrow Focus AG. Tomorrow Focus took a 51% share and Burda Digital Ventures took 29%.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://meedia.de/2008/11/24/holidaycheck-der-wahre-wert-der-tofo-2/|title=HolidayCheck: Der wahre Wert der ToFo|last=Jacobsen|first=Nils|date=24 November 2008|work=Meedia|access-date=10 June 2019}}</ref>
In 2007 Burda Digital Ventures sold its shares to Tomorrow Focus AG. At the time, HolidayCheck was the market leader among German-speaking hotel and travel review sites, having Hotelcheck.de.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Offensiver Neuling|last=Teggatz|first=Timo|date=22 June 2007|work=fvw. Magazin für Touristik & Business Travel}}</ref> In 2008, HolidayCheck acquired rival portal Urlaub.com.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Holidaycheck macht Urlaub|date=9 May 2008|work=fvw. Magazin für Touristik & Business Travel}}</ref>
In January 2009, Tomorrow Focus AG acquired a further 14 percent stake for €21.6 million, taking its stake to 94 percent of the company.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.tomorrow-focus.de/investor-relations/finanznews/12-02-2009-tomorrow-focus-ag-uebernimmt-weitere-14-prozent-an-der-holidaycheck-ag_aid_461.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150325122647/http://www.tomorrow-focus.de/investor-relations/finanznews/12-02-2009-tomorrow-focus-ag-uebernimmt-weitere-14-prozent-an-der-holidaycheck-ag_aid_461.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 March 2015|title=Tomorrow Focus AG übernimmt weitere 14 Prozent an der HolidayCheck AG|date=12 February 2009|work=tomorrow-focus.de|access-date=10 June 2019}}</ref> The founders sold their remaining 6 percent of the company in June 2013; Tomorrow Focus AG then became the sole owner.
The site's parent company made further investments in the travel sector in 2015, while selling several online publishing businesses at the time, including Focus Online and the Huffington Post.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.focus.de/finanzen/boerse/aktien/in-eigener-sache-tomorrow-focus-ag-verkauft-elitepartner-an-oakley-capital_id_4736336.html|title=TOMORROW FOCUS AG verkauft ElitePartner an Oakley Capital|date=8 June 2015|work=Focus|access-date=10 June 2019}}</ref> The company changed its name from Tomorrow Focus AG to HolidayCheck Group AG in 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Tomorrow Focus wird Holidaycheck|date=6 May 2016|work=Börsen-Zeitung}}</ref>
==Financial results== For the 2018 financial year the firm reported operating EBITDA of €10.7 million (7.7%), on total revenue of €138.9m. HolidayCheck is listed on the Prime Standard segment of the Frankfurt stock exchange.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.marketscreener.com/HOLIDAYCHECK-GROUP-AG-435959/news/HolidayCheck-publishes-annual-results-for-2018-Revenue-and-earnings-significantly-up-sharehold-28243637/|title=HolidayCheck : publishes annual results for 2018 - Revenue and earnings significantly up - shareholders in line for dividend {{!}} MarketScreener|last=MarketScreener|website=www.marketscreener.com|language=en|access-date=2019-07-16}}</ref>
As of July 2019, the company had 471 employees in Bottighofen, Munich, Poznan and Warsaw. The management board consists of Georg Hesse (Chief Executive Officer), Dirk Scheuermann (Chief Financial Officer) and Nate Glissmeyer (Chief Product Officer and SVP Engineering).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=1083970|title=HolidayCheck Group AG: Private Company Information - Bloomberg|website=www.bloomberg.com|access-date=2019-07-24}}</ref>
== External links == * [http://www.holidaycheckgroup.com The HolidayCheck AG website] * Sources {{Reflist}} <ref name="AR 2016">{{cite web|title=Annual Report 2016|url=https://www.holidaycheckgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/2016-annual-report-for-the-HOLIDAYCHECK-GROUP-AG.pdf|website=HolidayCheck Group|publisher=HolidayCheck Group|access-date=12 December 2017}}</ref> <ref name="2016 name change HolidayCheck">{{cite web|title=HolidayCheck press release|url=https://www.holidaycheckgroup.com/news/aus-tomorrow-focus-ag-wird-holidaycheck-group-ag/?lang=en|website=HolidayCheck Group|publisher=HolidayCheck Group|access-date=12 December 2017}}</ref> {{Authority control}}
Category:Companies based in Munich Category:Mass media in Munich