Inspire Me Award 2025 recognizes the best of the best in luxury tourism

The Club der Macherinnen kicked off a unique network that brings women in tourism together on 3 April. KITICON Global Networks was there as a partner and supports the initiative, which is committed to empowering and promoting women in tourism. Managing Director Tina Kirfel contributed her experience in a panel discussion and spoke about the importance of networking in the industry.

A strong network for women in tourism‍

The Club der Macherinnen, founded by Anna Schwingenschlögl and Christiane Bläser, is the first network explicitly aimed at women in tourism. In a constantly changing industry, women play a central role - through their expertise, their commitment and their innovative strength. The aim of the initiative is to network women, support them in their professional development and jointly provide impetus for the future of the industry.

Commitment to networking and empowerment‍

As an agency with deep roots in tourism, KITICON Global Networks is convinced that strong networks are crucial to shaping change. ‘Personally, I am passionate about being a leader and love promoting women, encouraging them and making their strengths visible,’ explains Managing Director Tina Kirfel. ‘Any network that brings women together and supports them is important. That's why it's a matter close to my heart to support the Club der Macherinnen.’

Exchange, inspiration and new ideas in Berlin‍

The event not only offered participants inspiring examples of best practice, but also a wide range of opportunities for direct dialogue with industry experts. Workshops, presentations and interactive networking formats were organised under the motto ‘Courage MAKERS’ and provided practical inspiration for professional development. With suggestions for self-employment and entrepreneurship as well as a clear focus on collaboration and mutual support, the network sent a powerful signal for more visibility and influence for women in travel sales.

Thinking ahead together – the future of the network

At the end of the event, the participants discussed in small groups how the format could be continued in the future. It was particularly important to the two organisers to include all voices and take into account the wishes of those present. Various topics were mentioned, including technical developments such as artificial intelligence, finance and insurance, as well as work-life balance and cross-generational dialogue between young and experienced female tourism professionals.

The target group is also to be expanded in the future: All female tourism professionals are invited to become part of the network. The network sees itself as a platform for in-depth, sustainable communication and aims to strengthen both professional and personal dialogue.

As a partner of ConneXion Night, which celebrated its premiere at the Berlin International Tourism Exchange (ITB) this year, KITICON supports the promotion of young talent in the tourism industry. The network meeting organized by the Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry (BTW) and the conneccted: agency was aimed specifically at young and aspiring tourism professionals — and was more popular than initially expected. While only 250 guests were originally planned, around 300 tourism professionals eventually gathered at Berlin's Club Maaya.

The event not only offered an opportunity to support young talents starting out in the industry and provide them an opportunity to network with their peers. The organizers also had the opportunity to get to know the next generation and discover potential talents. The focus was on positioning the tourism industry as an attractive employer and “people business” that combines diverse career opportunities with an exciting and dynamic working atmosphere. ITB Director Deborah Rothe also emphasized this: “The tourism industry is not just work, but also a lot of fun. ”

“We are delighted to be one of the first partners to take part in ConneXion Night,” comments Tina Kirfel, Managing Director of KITICON GmbH & Co. KG. “As a marketing agency, we know exactly how important it is to attract young talent to the industry. Above all, because the younger generation is very different to previous generations when it comes to getting people excited about a job. Traditional career sites are no longer sufficient - social recruiting in particular plays a key role. We are already successfully supporting our customers in this area, and the positive response confirms our approach."

The up-and-coming talents were particularly enthusiastic about the various “Connexion Areas”, which offered unique networking opportunities with an exciting twist. From casual get-togethers to getting to know each other at speed dating and competitions, there was something for everyone. The lounge corner, a video booth and a telephone disco in an old telephone booth also contributed to making the evening a complete success. The event was accompanied by a DJ throughout, which also impressed the young people across the board.

In addition to KITICON Global Networks, other partners also supported the event. These included AIDA, DerTour, Hanse Merkur, Stylink, Worldia and many other exciting companies in and outside the tourism sector.

BTW President Sören Hartmann emphasizes: “We are immensely pleased with the great response from young and, in some cases, aspiring tourism professionals. Our joint idea of closing a content gap in the colorful calendar of events surrounding the world's largest tourism trade fair by specifically addressing young talent has been a complete success.” Christiane Bläser and Constanze Maltzahn, the two managing directors of the organizing agency conneccted:, were also satisfied with the event — ConneXion Night 2026 is already being planned.

The marketing agency KITICON GmbH & Co. KG and acvis GmbH have started working together to further strengthen Travcom24 as one of the most innovative content management systems (CMS) for travel agencies and tour operators. KITICON supports acvis with 1st-level support, targeted press and marketing work, and the development of a comprehensive training and information concept for the customizable complete solution.

Travcom24, developed by acvis GmbH, is a CMS specially designed for the travel industry that sets new standards in its category. It enables travel agencies and tour operators to create individual sales websites with just a few clicks. The system offers interfaces to common booking platforms as well as expansion options such as a live chat, integrated offer functions, price alerts, a list of favorites and dynamic travel advice. In addition, Travcom24 already enables the creation of websites that meet the requirements of the German Accessibility Improvement Act and thus offers a future-proof solution for barrier-free digital offers. Already successfully in use on numerous websites, the system has proven itself in practice and impresses with its performance and flexibility, including at the tour operators Coral Travel, the luxury travel sales portal Just Travel, the special organizer Golfreisen.com and the TUI Travel Star Travel Center Stuttgart.

“We help travel companies in seamlessly integrating Travcom24 into their processes — from the initial consultation to ongoing use,” explains Ilka Wymar, Commercial Director at KITICON. “Our expertise in support and marketing helps customers to optimize their online presence and make booking processes more efficient. ”

Christian Helbling, CEO of acvis GmbH, adds: “By working with KITICON, we offer our customers an even more comprehensive service. The combination of technological innovation and professional customer support makes Travcom24 one of the most powerful solutions for the travel industry. ”

Thanks to its modular design, Travcom24 adapts flexibly to the growing requirements of the industry. In addition, the intuitive modular system enables quick and easy adaptation to individual requirements without in-depth technical knowledge. Together, KITICON and acvis plan to further develop the system and support even more companies in their digital transformation. Many other innovations that will take daily travel sales to a new level are already planned — among other things, KITICON will soon be launching a series of webinars on this topic. Interested parties can find out more about Travcom24 in a non-binding initial consultation with Wymar [book an appointment HERE].

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