Long-Haul Vacay Vibes: TUI Amps Up Winter Travel with an Eye for Exotic getaways
Shifting Scenery: TUI Leverages Winter Tourism Expansion in Asia Instead of the Alps - Long-haul Winter Journeys: TUI Focuses on Expansion in Asian Destinations
TUI, the globe-trotting tourism titan, is shaking things up this winter by gunning for long-haul vacations. According to the big cheese himself, TUI Germany's CEO Benjamin Jacobi, travel yearnings remain sky-high, and Asia is where the action's at!
Up next on the list: Thailand, the current travel darling, is set to see new direct flights to Bangkok and Phuket, as well as a crop of additional hotels. Japan, Malaysia, and Bali are also slated for a TUI exploration boost! The classic contenders - Spain, Egypt, Turkey, and Portugal - are still reigning supreme across all travel tribes, keeping prices stable for some long-haul destinations.
TUI's venturing into the Scandinavian ski resort of Sälen-Trysil, known as the largest ski destination in Northern Europe, marks the company's first foray into winter sports holidays. And if that's not exhilarating enough, TUI Blue is ratcheting up its winter presence with a record number of hotels opening this season!
"We're гонящий (pushing) things further than ever," says TUI Hotels and Resorts' CEO Artur Gerber. The brand's long-term goal in Asia is to double the TUI Blue portfolio, while its first Gambian hotel is on the horizon!
Despite economic jitters, TUI's confidently predicting a 5-10% revenue climb and a 7-10% bump in adjusted EBIT. Higher prices and stable demand have set the stage for this optimistic outlook. From October to March, TUI reeled in around 8.6 billion euros, slashing the seasonal operating loss by 15% to 156 million euros. Cruises and hotels showed remarkable improvement, and the debt reduction kept depositors happy.
- TUI
- Scandinavia
- Asia
- Thailand
- Bangkok
- Phuket
- Japan
- Malaysia
- Spain
- Egypt
- Turkey
- Portugal
- Skiing
- Gambia
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TUI's winter strategy is all about exploring far-flung, exotic destinations, tailoring to travelers looking for a dose of adventure. Their expansion plans include:
- New Direct Flights to Thailand: TUI's planning to fly straight to Bangkok and Phuket, boosting accessibility to these sought-after tropical destinations in Southeast Asia. And alongside these flights, they're adding more hotels to their portfolio in Thailand[2].
- Asian Market Growth: Besides Thailand, TUI is introducing new tours in Japan and adding new accommodations in Malaysia, signaling a broader push across Asia for winter travel options[2].
- Winter Ski Destinations in Europe: In addition to long-haul travel, TUI is jumping into winter sports tourism closer to home by adding a new flight from Newcastle Airport to Sofia, Bulgaria, starting December 2025. This route is aimed at ski resorts like Bansko, Pamporovo, and Borovets, with both flight-only and full ski package offerings[3].
- Diverse Long-Haul Deals: TUI's got over 80 global, long-haul destinations in the mix for their holiday deals. These include popular winter sun spots, cultural hotspots, and even Florida, providing a diverse range of experiences, from beach vacations to cultural explorations[1][5].
- TUI's expanded winter strategy emphasizes exploration of distant, adventurous destinations, with new direct flights to Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand, an increase in hotels in Asia, and venturing into winter ski resorts in Scandinavia, like Sälen-Trysil.
- In addition to European winter destinations, TUI is broadening its purview across Asia, introducing new tours in Japan, adding new accommodations in Malaysia, and expanding its TUI Blue portfolio in the region to double its presence, as well as planning a first Gambian hotel.
