Germany’s parliamentary Committee on Tourism has set 23 September 2026 for a public hearing titled “The Situation of Travel Agencies and Tour Operators”. The agenda, published today, lists expert witnesses ranging from small independent agencies to the president of the Deutscher Reiseverband (DRV). Lawmakers want to examine how artificial-intelligence booking tools, dynamic pricing and new EU consumer-protection rules are reshaping the retail travel landscape. Although Germany’s outbound travel market rebounded to 91 % of pre-pandemic turnover in 2025, the number of bricks-and-mortar agencies fell below 9,000 for the first time. Industry groups warn that small and mid-sized firms—often crucial for servicing corporate SME accounts—face margin pressure from direct-supplier channels and the cost of compliance with the EU Digital Services Act. The hearing could pave the way for targeted support, such as training grants for AI-tool adoption or revisions to Germany’s Package Travel Act. Multinational companies that rely on local agencies for complex business-travel itineraries should monitor the debate: any regulatory shift affecting commission models or data-sharing obligations could ripple through global booking processes. The session will be streamed live via Bundestag.de, and written submissions are invited until 21 September. Mobility managers may wish to brief their preferred travel-management companies so they can feed operational realities into the parliamentary record.
Source: Deutscher Bundestag
