TUI, Germany’s leading tour operator, after a good start to the year 2007 in the domestic market is still on course for growth. As the TUI Germany boss Dr. Volker Böttcher reported shortly before the beginning of the ITB travel trade fair, the number of booked turnover for the summer season 2007 in the German market is currently 5.5 per cent above the comparable values for the previous year. Also in terms of the number of guests booked TUI Germany is on course for growth with a current 6.6 per cent increase in comparison with this period last year.
Our business is buzzing. On the one hand, our early booking strategy has come off. On the other, as market and quality leader we are profiting particularly at the moment from the good economic trend in Germany. We are currently growing faster than the market“, says Böttcher. The positive booking trend is affecting all segments from the classic package holiday to the Mediterranean to self-selected component and wellness holidays, long-haul journeys and city breaks. Among the volume target areas the current strongest growth area – after a quiet year in 2006 – is Turkey. „Within the external framework, Turkey will be celebrating a comeback“, says Böttcher.
Classics round the Mediterranean in demand / high growth rate in Turkey
In Turkey, TUI Germany is currently recording a guest increase of 50 per cent in comparison with the 2006 summer season. „Above all, families are rediscovering their love for Turkey and are coming back“, says the TUI Germany boss. In the previous year the country had suffered predominantly from the asian flu and the caricature dispute. Böttcher: „Regulars, who appreciate the recent hotel product and the many all-inclusive offers, are booking again.“ In the 2007 holiday season, German holiday-makers are above all settling for the classical holiday destinations Spain (+1.5 per cent visitor increase), Portugal (+40 per cent visitor increase), Italy (+8 per cent visitor increase) and Greece (+10 per cent visitor increase).
In the most important destination in volume for the Germans, Spain, the current development is still variable. „We are growing strongly in the Canary Islands (+10 per cent visitor increase) and the Spanish mainland (+40 per cent visitor increase). Bookings for Majorca (–5 per cent visitor decrease) are still behind the very good figures for the previous year. „Last year Majorca enjoyed special economic activity because the island benefited from a pronounced weakness in Turkey. Now the holiday-makers are returning to the eastern Mediterranean“, says Böttcher. But the TUI Germany boss is working on the assumption that the number of bookings for Majorca will yet rise. TUI is also happy with the bookings situation for the northern African countries of Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt. Bulgaria and the countries in the former Yugoslavia are still below expectations.
Great demand for long-haul journeys and city breaks
„The German love of long-haul journeys is still unchanged“, thus the TUI Germany boss describes another trend for the 2007 holiday season. TUI reacted to this development about a year ago with a holiday brochure offensive. Among other things, the offer of long-haul journeys was significantly increased and all such offers were made flexible, so that the long-haul journeys could be booked either as a package or as a self-selected combination. Apart from that, with the introduction of its sister brand TUI World Discoverer TUI has focussed on this segment in its communications as well. In the Caribbean, Mexico (+40 per cent visitor increase) and Cuba (+24 per cent visitor increase) have recorded vigorous growth. The bookings for the Dominican Republic are on a level with the previous year. In Asia, trips to Thailand (+30 per cent visitor increase), China (+29 per cent visitor increase) and to the Maldives Islands (+12 per cent visitor increase) above all are in great demand. Bookings for Sri Lanka, La Réunion and India are still below the figures for comparable for the previous year. Equally, breaks are following the same trend (+9 per cent visitor increase) .
TUI Germany has also recorded an increase in both the package holiday segment and the modular market. Böttcher: „As an integrated provider, we can offer holiday-makers any service they want: from a completely carefree package to the Mediterranean or to the Caribbean to a single overnight stay in a hotel or a hire car in New Zealand.“
3,280 characters