Gebetsroither Chronicle

GEBETSROITHER

COMPANY CHRONICLE

HOLIDAYS IN THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES IN EUROPE

Dear customers, dear friends, 2021 was a special year for us and our company – we are celebrating or 40th anniversary as a company. We have been a family business from the very beginning, which over time has developed into a market leader in the camping sector. We invite you to join us in looking back on the successful development of our company and the last 40 years.

Robert Gebetsroither laid the foundation of Gebetsroither at Camping Zagori in 1981. That was the year he rented out the first caravans in what was then Yugoslavia. In the years that followed, the company established itself as a market leader as a trusted provider of camping holidays.

We also developed and built our own motorhomes, the Gebetsroither Lux motorhome, in Liezen, Austria. The war in Yugoslavia led to the restructuring of the company. This event on the calendar marked the starting point when mobile homes were also rented out to guests at campsites in addition to caravans. Today, Gebetsroither is one of the four largest companies in Europe in the camping holiday sector – and the trend is still rising.

„It brings us joy to welcome satisfied customers every year and to be able to offer them a carefree holiday.“

The siblings

Birgit & Harald Gebetsroither Owner

Family Pfleger Grandpa & Grandma with children and friends camping

since

„Room, kitchen, cabinet, there is a bed behind the stove!“

True to this saying, the Gebetsroither-Lux motorhome was developed and built in a production hall in Liezen. A lot has happened over the years - but not the way of traveling with a mobile home.

At Camping Zagori started ours in 1981 success story.

The idea: We rent out a caravan to vacationers so that they can enjoy a carefree time in Yugoslavia. Even at that time, camping was a family affair and we are very pleased to be able to welcome the children of that time back to us as today‘s customers.

Image source: Senior boss Annemarie Gebetsroither camping in the olden days

ONE FAMILY –ONE MISSION

The Gebetsroither family business has gone through 40 years filled with ups and downs and these have also made the company what it is today. A solid and dependable employer in the Ennstal region, one of the leading companies in the trading and rental of campervans and mobile homes and a seasoned partner for campsites throughout Europe.

The rise in 1981 was steep, the fall deep because of the war in Yugoslavia. Nevertheless, the founder of the company, Robert Gebetsroither, stuck to his idea and identified other business segments in the camping business, which had collapsed at the time.

Today, the Gebetsroither group of companies comprises three business units: trade & rental of campervans, the rental of mobile homes & caravans on campsites throughout Europe and also a travel agency, all geared towards a relaxed holiday with the whole family.

Gebetsroither is one of the leading trading companies for motorhomes/caravans in Austria and one of the largest companies in Europe active in the rental business of holiday homes for families.

Going on a family holiday was the determining factor for the young married Robert Gebetsroither that led to the founding of today‘s Gebetsroither group of companies.

The journey of the Gebetsroither family to Croatia, with their own caravan of course, took many

hours. The end of the road trip was not the start of the holiday though. Now the whole family had to pitch in to get the caravan with its tent set up. And that took a good four hours. This got Robert Gebetsroither thinking: „This has to be easier“ and he decided to set up caravans on the most beautiful beaches in Europe, close to the sea. The caravan tents should also already be pitched, so that the guests only have to move their personal belongings into the caravan.

And so the business idea of the Gebetsroither family business was born.

In addition to his car dealership in Liezen, my father-in-law had already been trading in caravans on a smaller scale for several years.

In 1980, I found out that the company Pfleger planned to close down this business segment. I recognised this as a good opportunity and decided at short notice to set up my own venture in this field.

Robert Gebetsroither

Family Gebetsroither

THE EARLY YEARS

Establishing the Gebetsroither company with the purpose to trade in and rent out caravans and motorhomes. The first ten caravans were set up at Camping Zagori in Yugoslavia and rented out to holidaymakers. Gebetsroither has completed the founding of its camping venture.

1981

FOUNDING THE COMPANY

1982 EXPANSION

The idea of renting a caravan has taken root and the offer at Camping Zagori and on the island of Rab was expanded.

1983

The first branch was opened in Wolfern near Steyr and the rental segment saw more expansion: caravans were also rented out on the island of Krk and in Istria. EXTENSION

Opening of the motorhome rental stations in Vienna, Klagenfurt and Traun.

1984

GRAZ OPENING

1985

VIENNA OPENING

The trade in motorhomes and caravans was launched. And another branch was opened in Graz-Andritz.

Establishment of the company „Gebetsroither Hungaro“ in Tatabanya, Hungary. The start of motorhome rentals in Hungary.

1986

ISTRIA ESTABLISHMENT

1987

HUNGARA ESTABLISHMENT

The company „Gebetsroither Istra“ was established in Pula.

The birth of the “Gebetsroither Lux motorhome”. With the founding of „Gebetsroither-Fahrzeugbau-GmbH“ and the purchase of an industrial site in Liezen, around 220 self-built motorhomes rolled off the production line. At the same time, the rental business was extended to France and Spain. Opening of operations in Timelkam with a rental and sales station.

1988

„LUX MOTORHOME“ & TIMELKAM 1989

ITALY ESTABLISHMENT

Opening of the branch in ViennaHagenbrunn and opening of the new business in Wörschach, Ennstal | Styria.

1990

HAGENBRUNN & WÖRSCHACH

“Gebetsroither Italy“ was founded in Brixen. This also marked the start of the rental of accommodation at campsites in Italy. In the same year, a plot of land was leased in Vienna-Hagenbrunn and the new company premises were adapted and a workshop was built. In November 1989, the company „JägerGestoba“ acquired a stake in Gebetsroither GmbH.

BACK TO START

New ways require new measures.

This meant closing the existing branches in Wolfern and Graz in 1993, reducing the staff component and, due to the separation from the previous partner „Jäger-Gestoba“, closing the motorhome rental stations in Styria and Carinthia.

But not only that, the motorhome production could not be continued and the company „Fahrzeugbau-GmbH“ was closed down. The accommodation sites in Greece, Spain and France also fell victim to the crisis and operations there were discontinued.

RESTRUCTURING FROM 1993

Reduction of staff

Closure of the branches in Wolfern and Graz

Sale of rental motorhomes and caravans

Closure of all motorhome rental stations in Styria and Carinthia

19901993

WAR IN YUGOSLAVIA

Gebetsroither was awarded for his relief campaign for Croatian War refugees awarded by the Croatian Red Cross.

THE CRISIS YEARS

Like many other companies, Gebetsroither also experienced a total loss in the former Yugoslavia between 1990 and 1993 due to the events of the war. Gebetsroither‘s business suffered the same sharp decline as many other manufacturers and rental companies in the camping industry. As a result, the company had to be restructured and rebuilt from 1993 onwards.

Despite the difficult economic situation at the beginning of the 1990s, Gebetsroither organised an aid campaign throughout the whole of Austria in 1992. A total of 14 truckloads of clothing and various items needed in daily life were collected for the refugees in Croatia and handed over by the Red Cross. Gebetsroither was awarded by the Croatian Red Cross for this commitment.

Abandonment of the accommodation facilities on the campsites in Spain, France and Greece

Closure of „Fahrzeugbau-GmbH“ and so the discontinuation of our in-house motorhome production

ON THE ROAD BACK TO SUCCESS

Camping Slatina on the island of Cres, in today‘s Croatia, played a decisive role in the rebuilding process of Gebetsroither. The first mobile home complex was built on this very campsite in 1996 and this venture brought the company back on the road to success. They were the first mobile homes in Croatia that were available to holidaymakers. In the years that followed, Camping Slatina developed into the company‘s largest mobile home complex with more than 60 units.

1997 EXTENSION

1998

Weißenbach near Liezen became the company’s new headquarters. The expansion of the rental of accommodation at campsites in Italy and Croatia gained momentum. HEADQUARTERS

Extension of the rental business in Italy and Croatia.

„Fahrzeugbau-GmbH“ that had to be closed down was renamed „Handels-GmbH“.

Birgit & Harald Gebetsroither took over its management. The mobile home complex footprint in Italy and Croatia was greatly expanded with more new sites.

1999

HANDELS GMBH since 2004

TRAVEL AGENCY

Appointing an advisory board. At the economic congress in Bad Honnef, Gebetsroither was introduced as a prime example of a company managed through a selfmonitoring system in Germany. This year also saw the handover of the business in Timelkam to a franchisee.

Takeover of the Austrian importer for the Adria & Sun Living products.

2005

Adria caravans and motorhomes were imported by Gebetsroither from this year onwards and rented out or sold to customers. Furthermore, „Happy Ferien“ was founded, the in house travel agency specialising in sourcing and arranging pitches at campsites throughout Europe. From now on, it was also possible to exclusively charter sailing yachts.

BIRGIT GEBETSROITHER

„My brother and I work closely together and we each contribute our individual strengths. Our family business should be able to develop in a healthy, successful and consistent manner. Our focus is not only on modernising the business but also on living the Gebetsroither credo „committed & friendly“ for the most beautiful time of the year.“

- Birgit Gebetsroither

Consistent and ongoing expansion of caravan and mobile home rentals at new campsites in Croatia and Italy.

Start of accommodation rentals in Sardinia and on the Baltic Sea, Germany. Handover of the Hagenbrunn location to a franchisee.

THE SIBLINGS

Birgit & Harald Gebetsroither For Gebetsroither, 2010 was a year of changing the guard. Birgit and Harald Gebetsroither took over shares in the company and were appointed as managing directors.

HARALD GEBETSROITHER

„Our constantly growing family business needs a lot of commitment, not only from my sister Birgit and me, but also from our many employees. Every year, the start of the season is a big challenge for everyone. We are fortunate in that we can also count on good cooperation with our campsite partners. As a tour operator, we continue to be on the lookout for interesting holiday destinations and campsites.“

- Harald Gebetsroither

SARDINIA / GERMANY / VIENNA

2011

NEW CONSTR. OF OUR HEADQUARTERS

2013 Locations in Montenegro and Slovenia expanded the rental offer for holidaymakers.

Opening of the new European headquarters in Weißenbach near Liezen. Campsites on the Costa Brava in Spain were added to the range of locations.

Opening of the Gebetsroither headquarters in Weißenbach near Liezen and the 30th anniversary of the company.

Sunelia and Gebetsroither entered into a partnership. This led to an expansion of accommodation options in Corsica (France).

2014

FRANCE 2016

35 YEARS

50 new mobile homes were set up at Camping Cikat in Croatia – a total of 4.6 million euros were invested in Gebetsroither‘s accommodation facilities. On Sardinia, two more sites were added to the range.

2017 SARDINIA & LUXURY

Is and was an absolute record year: the highest number of overnight stays, guests and bookings. In addition, the Glamping Village Catez was opened in Slovenia and the company is prepared and ready for the future: new structures with the objective to grow. Closure of the Timelkam site.

The Gebetsroither Group of Companies celebrated its 35th anniversary. 2016 also saw the incorporation of the travel agency „Happy Ferien” in the Gebetsroither Group of Companies. In addition, investments were made in special types of accommodation in Podersdorf am See: sustainable camping barrels.

2018

MORE THAN 100 CAMPSITES

2019

RECORD YEAR

Union Lido (Italy) was equipped with 38 new mobile homes and in total the company established its footprint on more than 100 campsites in Europe this year.

The Corona crisis had the whole world firmly in its grip. Hardly any industry escaped unscathed, yet thanks to strong cohesion and team spirit within the company, Gebetsroither was able to open another glamping village in Croatia (Terme Tuhelj) with an investment volume of 5 million euros. With the help of a crowdfunding campaign, investments were also made in two other Austrian campsites. Handover of the Weißkirchen site to a franchisee – rental and sales location. In addition, the lease agreement in Hagenbrunn was extended for another 25 years.

2020

CORONA CRISIS, WEISSKIRCHEN

CORONA CRISIS 2020

A curse and a blessing at the same time. The Corona crisis played havoc with the entire international tourism industry (travel agencies, tour operators, air travel, etc.). Of course, the crisis did not spare us either and we had to pull out of the German, Spanish and Hungarian markets with our own accommodation. Despite the growing camping boom, there are many problems to overcome. Constant travel restrictions and everchanging entry regulations prompted a flood of cancellations as well as rebookings impacting our company. The impaired functioning of supply chains in the trade also meant that vehicles and spare parts could no longer be determined. The new challenge was to find solutions for our customers and partners as quickly and as viable as possible. Our past experience contributed to our strength to emerge from the crisis stronger.

40 YEARS

40 YEARS GEBETSROITHER

There was a lot going on at Gebetsroither in 2021: The website was relaunched and new features were introduced in the online booking segment. And the topic of luxury once again played a major role: luxury mobile homes with whirlpools on Lake Ossiach. In a joint action with the Lions Club, aid for earthquake victims in Petrinja (Croatia) a humanitarian aid convoy with donations in kind and monetary donations for those affected were collected and handed over to those affected.

But that‘s not all: the Hagenbrunn site near Vienna was rebuilt with an investment of 2 million euros and opened in 2022.

Absolute highlight: Gebetsroither‘s first own campsite is being created – planning and implementation are in full swing at the Riegersburg site. The first glamping paradise in Styria is being created.

Čikat

Sardinia

GEBETSROITHER HEADQUARTERS

THE COMPANY HEADQUARTERS IN WEISSENBACH NEAR LIEZEN IS THE CONTACT POINT FOR CUSTOMERS, THE FLAGSHIP AND THE PLACE OF WORK FOR MANY EMPLOYEES IN THE ENNSTAL REGION.

The first plans for a modern and multifunctional headquarters were already in place in 2009. The goal was to bring all areas of the Gebetsroither Group together under one roof and to set new standards. The building, which combines offices, workshops and storage areas, was opened in 2011. Since then, the brand-new building has been the basis for the continuous growth of the Gebetsroither company.

Gebetsroither’s new European headquarters opened on 29 April 2011.

The latest technical standards was incorporated in the building and the brand-new booking office is also located at the new company site. It is not only the 50 employees who benefit from the attractive and modern workplace at the new company headquarters. With state-ofthe-art meeting and presentation rooms and a well-equipped workshop, customers will find an ideal service partner at the newly opened location.

Customers of Gebetsroither Handels GmbH, Gebetsroither International GmbH as well as Happy Ferien GmbH are warmly welcomed in the lobby. The responsible contact persons take care of all their needs: from mobile home bookings to the annual service of the mobile home – everything under one roof.

GEBETSROITHER INTERNATIONIAL GMBH

HOLIDAYS AT THE CAMPSITE –IN A MOBILE HOME OR CARAVAN

The customer has the choice: Gebetsroither offers three categories for mobile homes and caravans. The service is the same for all customers: bookings are made directly through Gebetsroither (online or via telephone), and all wishes, suggestions and/or complaints are handled directly by the company headquarters. Every site has a Gebetsroither attendant on duty who takes care of all site-related matters during the holiday. A big difference to other providers in this segment is that the pitches are personally selected by employees. This allows them to position the high-quality accommodation in such a way that every holiday guest can enjoy a certain amount of personal space. This way the evening drink can be enjoyed undisturbed on the covered terrace.

GEBETSROITHER HANDELS GMBH

A CAMPER IS SUITABLE FOR ANY TYPE OF HOLIDAY.

A weekend trip to Lake Garda on the spur of the moment, a week in the mountains with the bikes, a 3-month tour of Europe or the comfort of a camper during a festival. That‘s how the flexibility of Gebetsroither Handels GmbH offers a game plan for every purpose. In addition to selling caravans, motorhomes and vans, we also offer different rental options.

From short-term rentals to long-term rentals, from luxury campers for two to hip vans for a group of friends, we have it all.

SALES, RENTAL, REPAIR, SERVICE & ACCESSORIES.

Gebetsroither is a one-stop shop for motorhome enthusiasts. As an importer of the Adria & Sunliving brand as well as a trading partner of Knaus & Weinsberg we offer a large selection of caravans, motorhomes and camping vans. Another great benefit for our customers: „We are also a workshop and service partner for the Frankia brand. And we can meet almost all customer wishes in our accessories segment.”

• The customer books their holiday directly with Gebetsroither

• Wishes, suggestions and complaints are handled directly at the company headquarters

• Personal selection of the best pitches

• Gebetsroither ensures personal space by means of careful arrangement/planning of the rental properties

• High-quality accommodation

• Covered terraces with seating furniture or caravan with large awning

• Personal service on site by trained Gebetsroither staff

• Regular customers enjoy advantages

Orsera

GEBETSROITHER HAGENBRUNN - LIMA KG

LIMA KG, WHICH IS MANAGED BY THE SCHÖNEGGER FAMILY, IS A LONG-STANDING AND PROFESSIONAL GEBETSROITHER PARTNER IN THE SALE AND RENTAL OF MOTORHOMES IN HAGENBRUNN NEAR VIENNA.

The new Competence Centre East offers the same service as the headquarters – the rental & sales as well as repairs of camping vehicles and of course also sales of accessories as well as spare parts. Due to its proximity to Vienna, this location allows customers from the eastern part of Austria to travel quickly and easily by camper and to get that holiday feeling after just a few kilometres into the trip. This strong partner enabled us to steadily and successfully establish and expand the Hagenbrunn site.

GEBETSROITHER WEISSKIRCHEN- HUMA GMBH

HUMA GMBH IN WEISSKIRCHEN IS OUR NEW PROFESSIONAL PARTNER FOR THE SALE AND RENTAL OF CARAVANS & CAMPING VEHICLES.

Caravans are available for sale & rent at Gebetsroither’s newly opened Weißkirchen site in Upper Austria.

They have the latest Adria models in their sales range for customers to view. Showpieces that meet every requirement, as well as good-quality and well-maintained used vehicles.

Camping Slatina

Camping Slatina

Glamping Village Terme Tuhelj

FKK Istra

Marina di Venezia

Camping Dole

Camping Cikat

Camping Lanterna

Camping Adriatiq Primosten

Camping Village Terme Čatež

WWW.GEBETSROITHER.COM

GEBETSROITHER INTERNATIONAL GMBH

Gebetsroitherweg 1

8940 Weißenbach bei Liezen Austria

Hotline: +43 (0)3612 26300 office@gebetsroither.com