Hanover, 17 February 2021

Crete and the Canary Islands the most popular Summer 2021 holiday destinations for Europeans

  • TUI Holiday-Atlas: European holidaymakers’ favourite holiday destinations for Summer 2021
  • Greek islands most popular overall - Crete overtakes Majorca
  • Already 2.8m TUI bookings taken for Summer 2021, demonstrate the strong desire for travel

Greece and Spain are the most popular holiday destinations for Europeans this summer. This is shown by the TUI Holiday-Atlas Summer 2021, which evaluates the most popular vacation destinations of European TUI customers. The Greek island of Crete takes first place. Gran Canaria, Rhodes, Tenerife and Antalya are also in the top five. Last year, Greece was already the most popular vacation destination for TUI guests from all over Europe. Bookings also show that this summer the Canary Islands are ahead of the Balearic Islands in terms of popularity. TUI has around 21 million customers in Europe. All existing bookings from the most important European markets are included in the evaluation of the world's leading tourism group.

The TUI Holiday-Atlas also provides an overview of country-specific preferences. This year, British guests particularly favor Dalaman on the Turkish Riviera, followed by Cyprus, Antalya, Tenerife and Rhodes. Crete is the top destination for German holidaymakers for the first time. The island moves up two places in the ranking compared to the previous year and replaces Majorca. Rhodes and Kos also each climb two places to occupy 3rd and 4th place. As in previous years, the Greek islands are the number one destination for Finns, Danes, Norwegians and Swedes, followed by Majorca, Antalya and Cyprus. Belgian and Dutch TUI holidaymakers are heading in particular to Antalya and the Turkish Riviera this summer, while the two Greek islands of Crete and Rhodes as well as Majorca and Tenerife are also highly popular. French holidaymakers have chosen Sicily as their favorite destination this time, followed by Greek and Spanish destinations. However, the French are also keen to holiday within their own country this summer.

The TUI Holiday-Atlas shows: Greece and Spain are strong in demand. Greece is starting the new season with the tailwind of last summer. Low infection rates, comprehensive hygiene measures and a wide range of offers had already made Greece the most popular destination in 2020. In Spain, the Canary Islands lead the way in terms of bookings. An increase in bookings for the Balearic Islands is still to be expected in the coming weeks. An increase in bookings is also expected for Turkey. This is shown by the evaluation of search queries on TUI's booking pages in the various countries of origin.

Furthermore, there is an increased demand for higher category hotels and room upgrades. The willingness to treat oneself to something more this summer shows Europeans' longing for holidays and the continued desire to spend vacations in other European countries.

About TUI Group

The TUI Group is one of the world's leading tourism groups and operates worldwide. The Group is headquartered in Germany. TUI shares are listed in the MDAX index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and in the regulated market of the Lower Saxony Stock Exchange in Hanover. TUI Group offers its 19 million customers integrated services from a single source and forms the entire tourism value chain under one roof. The Group owns over 400 hotels and resorts with premium brands such as RIU, TUI Blue and Robinson and 17 cruise ships, ranging from the MS Europa and MS Europa 2 in the luxury class and expedition ships in the HANSEATIC class to the Mein Schiff fleet of TUI Cruises and cruise ships operated by Marella Cruises in the UK. The Group also includes Europe's leading tour operator brands and online marketing platforms, for example for hotel-only or flight-only offers, five airlines with more than 130 modern medium- and long-haul aircraft and around 1,200 travel agencies. In addition to expanding its core business with hotels and cruises via successful joint ventures and activities in vacation destinations, TUI is increasingly focusing on the expansion of digital platforms. The Group is transforming itself into a global tourism platform company.  

Global responsibility for sustainable economic, environmental and social action is at the heart of our corporate culture. With projects in 25 countries, the TUI Care Foundation initiated by TUI focuses on the positive effects of tourism, on education and training and on strengthening environmental and social standards. In this way, it supports the development of vacation destinations. The globally active TUI Care Foundation initiates projects that create new opportunities for the next generation.