TUI has reported an increase in booking momentum since the beginning of the year, and Easter travel which strongly favoured sunny destinations bodes well for the upcoming summer season.
For many people in Europe, the Easter holidays are the first opportunity to take a longer vacation and book a trip.
TUI reports that its customers are particularly drawn to destinations around the Mediterranean as well as the Canaries which are the top holiday regions for the UK and the German market.
Turkey, the Balearics, Mainland Spain, Egypt which offer guaranteed sun during this travel period as well as Greece are also topped the popularity scale across the Easter break.
A healthy Summer 2023 predicted
More than 500,000 customers holidayed with TUI over Easter with the load factor expected to be in the range of 95 per cent, which is broadly in line with pre-Covid levels.
Speaking on the healthy demand just prior to the Esster break, Sebastian Ebel, CEO TUI Group observed: “Booking momentum remains encouraging, and the travel trends and strong demand for the Easter holidays are a healthy signal for the upcoming summer.”
“Our products and strong brand are popular and in high demand – in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and many other markets where people are looking for relaxation in the sun and active experiences.”
“Based on trends to date and as we have said in March, we continue to anticipate capacity to be close to pre-pandemic levels. We expect a good Summer 2023.”
Increase in booking momentum
When TUI presented its Q1 financials on 14 February 2023, it reported people’s continued willingness to travel and a significant increase in booking momentum since the beginning of the year.
The UK and German markets saw record individual booking days, and in the four weeks to 5 February bookings were around 10 per cent higher than pre-pandemic 2019 levels, with prices also being higher.
Various studies support this development; customers do not want to give up holidays – despite the current economic uncertainties. TUI customers continue to book at shorter notice and prefer package holidays and all-inclusive offers.
About the TUI Group
TUI Group is a leading global tourism group and operates worldwide. The Group is headquartered in Germany. The TUI Group essentially offers integrated services from a single source for its 21 million customers.
The entire tourism value chain is covered under one roof. This includes over 400 hotels and resorts with premium brands such as RIU, TUI Blue and Robinson.
It also includes 16 cruise ships, from the MS Europa and the MS Europa 2 in the luxury class and expedition ships to the Mein Schiff fleet of TUI Cruises and cruise ships at Marella Cruises in Great Britain.
The Group also includes leading tour operator brands and online marketing platforms across Europe, five airlines with more than 130 modern medium and long-haul aircraft and around 1,200 travel agencies.
