More than four times as many guests travelled with TUI in the first quarter of 2022 as in the same period last year. Revenue was five times higher than in the same period last year. The first quarter of financial year 2022 also shows the next step out of the pandemic for the TUI Group. The market is intact, the demand is there. The TUI brand and TUI hotels enjoy a high level of trust even in a difficult pandemic environment. The framework conditions for tourism have now improved significantly, government measures are becoming more predictable and reliable and the lifting of comprehensive restrictions has begun or is foreseeable in some markets. The United Kingdom and Denmark are leading the way. This shows that travel has a high value for people.
The Hotels & Resort segment recorded its second positive operating result (underlying EBIT) since the start of the pandemic in the months October to December 2021 at 61 million euros (previous year: -96 million euros). The average room rate rose by 12 euros year-on-year to 72 euros.
In the cruises sector, 14 of the 16 ships were in service in the reporting period (previous year: 5 of 15). As a result, passenger days quadrupled to 1.0 million. The segment's underlying EBIT improved to -32 million euros (previous year: -98 million euros). TUI Musement also reduced its seasonal quarterly loss, with underlying EBIT at -13 million euros (previous year: -33 million euros). The number of tours, excursions and activities sold multiplied to a total of 1.1 million. The number of transfers almost tripled to 3.3 million.
For Winter 2021/22, TUI has advised to reach the lower to middle corridor of 60 to 80 percent of pre-pandemic capacities. So far, around 2.3 million guests have travelled with TUI in the first winter quarter. At +15 per cent, the average prices achieved are significantly higher than in the 2018/19 Winter.
As of 30 January, a good 3.5 million TUI customers had booked a trip for Summer 2022. This is around 72 per cent of the level of Summer 2019 at the same time. However, new bookings are now over 100 per cent of the level of Summer 2019, so the Group expects Summer 2022 to be close to the pre-crisis level.
As in the previous year, people are booking higher quality and planning a higher budget for their summer holidays. Average prices are further up on the previous year at +22 per cent. The reasons for this are, above all, the increased demand for package holidays as well as for higher-value offers and more additional services, for example upgrades in hotel or room category. Fritz Joussen, CEO TUI Group: "We expect a strong Summer 2022. There is pent-up demand among customers. We see this in all European source markets. The last two financial quarters have shown that the Group continues to stabilise. Every step towards normality gives people confidence, and the demand for holidays increases immediately. Despite the still ongoing trend towards very short-term bookings, we see the strong demand for the upcoming Summer 2022."
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 20 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.