Comment: We’re celebrating 30 years but our journey is far from over

Edgar Lacker, chief executive officer at Aviareps, hails the milestone and looks ahead to the future of the company

This year, we proudly celebrate 30 years of Aviareps – a journey that has seen us adapt, grow, and actively shape the global tourism industry.

Since its founding in 1994, Aviareps has grown from a niche player into the global leader in airline, tourism, and hospitality representation, with 71 owned offices in 67 countries. This journey has been marked by constant adaptation, innovation, and a relentless commitment to serving the needs of our partners.

The travel industry is fast-paced and ever-changing, shaped by external events, consumer preferences, and technological innovations. At Aviareps, we have embraced these changes by continuously refining our service offerings to meet the shifting needs of travel agents and clients alike. Our mission from the very beginning has been clear: bringing people to the world and the world to the people.

One of the key lessons we’ve learned is that success in this industry hinges on building strong, personal relationships. As a company, we strive to improve collaborations by offering direct, personal contact through local experts in the market. This hands-on approach has allowed us to stay close to the needs of the trade, while our expansion into digital events ensures that travel agents are well-informed of the latest trends and developments, regardless of location.

In the UK, we have tailored our services to meet the specific needs of the travel trade. Our dedicated account managers ensure that personal relationships are maintained, and needs are met effectively. We serve as a one-stop shop, local office, and full-service provider for numerous airlines and tourism boards, streamlining collaboration for travel agents and journalists, saving time, and making it easier to coordinate efforts.

We support agents by offering regular training sessions and webinars on new products, services, and fare structures. But we also go beyond that by sharing data-driven insights, providing agents with sales data, customer preferences, and market insights to help them target the right audiences and improve efficiency. We collaborate on promotions, working closely with our airline partners to develop exclusive offers for travel trade partners to pass on to their clients.

This approach allows us to support the travel trade effectively, even in the UK’s highly competitive environment.

Our company’s founder Michael Gaebler recently said: “Aviareps stands for innovation, growth, excellence, and inspiration! We are proud to be the global leader in airline, tourism, and hospitality representation, and to actively influence, develop, and shape tourism, aviation, and hospitality trends, demand, and spend.”

Our milestones and success over the past 30 years represent our commitment to delivering excellence and fostering growth for our partners. As we look forward, we remain focused on innovation and collaboration to continue meeting the needs of the travel trade.

The past 30 years have been remarkable, but the journey is far from over. We are excited to keep shaping the future of the tourism industry with the same dedication and passion that has brought us this far.