KITICON Supports First ConneXion Night at ITB: Successful Event for Young Tourism Professionals

Karlsruhe, January 8, 2026. Acvis is revamping the digital infrastructure for TVG travel agencies: The Travcom24 content management and sales system from acvis GmbH is being used throughout the entire travel agency system. With this change, the travel agencies are bundling their websites on a uniform, powerful platform – with the clear goal of expanding digital visibility, increasing online bookability, and sustainably improving the integration of online and stationary sales in service areas.

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Travcom24 creates a central technical basis for all partner offices for the first time, while at the same time leaving room for individual design and local positioning. This results in a consistent brand image with a personal touch – a decisive factor for local visibility in search engines and attracting the attention of customers.

More than a website: digital sales tool for travel agencies

Travcom24 is not a classic CMS, but rather a holistic digital sales ecosystem for modern travel agencies. Smart functions support a contemporary customer approach and efficient lead processing. The system is complemented by integrated tools for appointment management, newsletters, offer and customer management, and targeted support for stationary sales. At the same time, Travcom24 meets all relevant legal requirements—from GDPR to IT security to accessibility—and thus offers a future-proof foundation for digital sales. A key success factor is the close cooperation with TVG travel agencies: Feedback from day-to-day business is continuously incorporated into the agile further development of the communication and service platform.

Developed from practice – for practice

Behind Travcom24 is acvis GmbH, headed by managing director Christian Helbling, who himself operates several travel agencies. This proximity to operational sales has a significant influence on the development of the system. "Everyday life at travel agencies has changed fundamentally. Today, digital solutions must intelligently combine consulting, sales, and efficient processes. This is exactly what Travcom24 was developed for – and we are very pleased to be embarking on this journey together with the TVG travel agencies,“ says Helbling.

TVG's decision was also based on the company's innovative edge: ”Travel agencies today face a key challenge: remaining personal while also being digitally visible and accessible. Travcom24 not only has smart approaches, but also offers innovative, future-oriented sales solutions. That's what convinced us," explains Dirk Faßbender, Director of Sales & Marketing at TVG. F

oundation for the next stage of digitalization

With Travcom24, TVG travel agencies are laying the foundation for the consistent further development of their digital sales. Uniform processes, a stronger online presence, and new digital sales potential are to be systematically developed in the future – without losing sight of the travel agencies' personal consulting standards. Interested travel agencies can get an overview of travcom24 during a product presentation. Places for the group webinar on January 30, 2026, can now be booked here.

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The “LEAD³ – LEARN. EMPOWER. ADVANCE. DEVELOP.” project is a nationwide equality project that aims to specifically promote female careers in the tourism industry. The Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE) is collaborating with twelve tourism companies and organizations as well as the industry associations BTW and DRV. The focus is on individual career advancement, structural change in companies, and raising awareness of equal opportunities in the industry.

LEAD³ is aimed at women – including trans and inter women – in three career and life phases: rising talents, established professionals, and silver agers. Over a period of three years, participants will receive coaching and mentoring, while the participating companies will simultaneously develop gender equality-oriented structures.

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Broad industry alliance as a basis

The project is supported by a cross-industry alliance of tour operators, destination organizations, and other tourism stakeholders. Partners include Ameropa-Reisen GmbH, Biblische Reisen, Rheinland-Pfalz Tourismus, Bentour, Tourism Turn, Tourismus Marketing Niedersachsen, Akwaba Afrika Reisen, Neue Wege, visitBerlin, KITICON, and Alsharq Reisen. Each company provides project leaders from HR, works councils, or management teams, as well as three participants for the duration of the project.

Scientific management and practical relevance

The project is being implemented at HNEE under the direction of Prof. Dr. Claudia Brözel and Theresa Schmalenbach, M.A. The aim is to combine individual skills development with organizational change and to make the insights gained available to the entire industry. The project team includes Alicia Klein M.A., Katharina Elster, and Sandra Kaliga.

Support from BTW and DRV

The Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry (BTW) and the German Travel Association (DRV) are supporting LEAD³ as network partners. Over the next three years, the associations want to bring the project to the industry through open network meetings and events for all genders and promote the exchange of ideas on equal opportunities – in line with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5).

Visibility and long-term knowledge transfer

In addition to coaching and organizational development, LEAD³ focuses on visibility in the industry. Female role models, examples of good practice, and project results are communicated via the website, LinkedIn, industry events, and publications in order to provide sustainable impetus for the tourism industry. Funding background LEAD³ will run until October 31, 2028, and is funded by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) as part of the program “Shaping the transformation of work through social partnership.” The project is co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

There is still one place available for companies in the LEAD³ program. Interested parties can contact claudia.broezel@hnee.de.

Further information on the project will be available at ITB 2026 on the Green Stage in Hall 7.1b. The session “Beyond Intentions: Making Gender Equality Stick in Tourism” will take place there on March 3 from 5:15 p.m. to 5:40 p.m.

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Worldia is introducing a new loyalty program for travel consultants on January 1, 2026. With the Worldia Club, the specialist for modular travel is specifically strengthening its cooperation with stationary sales. The program combines a transparent points system with attractive bonus levels and exclusive rewards – and is designed to strengthen ties with travel agencies in the DACH market in the long term. Each travel agency will receive a personal partner account where points, status levels, and benefits can be viewed at any time.

‍Simple points system for all bookings

For each confirmed booking, partners receive 1 Worldia point per euro spent. Once the customer's trip is complete, the points can be redeemed flexibly – including for vouchers and rewards from over 150 partner brands in the areas of gastronomy, fashion, hotels, and entertainment. All information on available rewards, promotions, and the current points balance can be found on the personal dashboard. Points are valid for 24 months from the customer's departure date.

“We know how important dedicated travel agents are to our mutual success. With the Worldia Club, we offer them a program that creates real added value – transparent, attractive, and tailored to their needs,” explains Lisa Gerbens, Deputy Managing Director of Worldia.

Bonus levels with additional benefits

As sales increase, partners move up to higher bonus levels – Bronze, Silver, Gold, Black, and Platinum. Depending on their level, they benefit from additional bonus points and extended advantages. Regular promotions and challenges are also planned, through which travel consultants can earn additional points. The first campaign starts with bookings for the USA and Canada – between December 15 and January 16, 1.5 points per euro of sales will be awarded.

Strengthening the sales partner system

With its new loyalty program, Worldia is strengthening partnerships in the DACH market and further expanding its service and incentive structure for travel consultants. At the same time, the company is creating additional incentives to make cooperation even more attractive and efficient in the long term. Interested parties can find details about the program and register HERE. The team will answer any questions about the Worldia Club at club@worldia.com.

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