Hamburg/Hanover, 21 June 2024

Kuzey Esener to become Director of Communications at TUI Cruises

  • Transfer from TUI headquarters to the cruise joint venture

On 1 August 2024, Kuzey Esener will become the new Director of Communications at TUI Cruises in Hamburg. He is currently Head of Media Relations at TUI Group and is responsible for press and PR at the Group headquarters for all economic and financial topics, strategy and M&A, as well as all overarching Group topics in the areas of sustainability, HR and IT. In his new role, he will continue to be associated with the TUI Group and the global communications team when he moves from the parent company to the Hamburg-based joint venture.

TUI Cruises is the successful cruise joint venture between TUI and Royal Caribbean, in which both partners hold a 50 per cent stake. The Mein Schiff fleet and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises with the luxury ships MS EUROPA and MS EUROPA 2 as well as the HANSEATIC Class expedition ships operate under the umbrella of the Hamburg-based shipping company.

In his new role, Kuzey Esener will report to Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises GmbH. Wybcke Meier: "We warmly welcome Kuzey Esener to TUI Cruises. With his extensive experience and deep understanding of the communications landscape, he will play a crucial role in further strengthening our brand and taking our corporate communications to the next level. Kuzey is already well acquainted with the cruise business and has successfully managed major projects such as the integration of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises into the joint venture or various name giving events on behalf of the TUI Group. I am convinced that he will make a major contribution to our success."

Thomas Ellerbeck, Member of the Group Executive Committee of TUI Group: "I am very pleased that Kuzey Esener is now taking the next step in his career and will take over as Director of Communications at our successful joint venture TUI Cruises in Hamburg on 1 August 2024. He is a highly experienced media professional, with whom I have worked very closely since 2008 and who has successfully managed many important projects in TUI Corporate Affairs Leadership. These include in particular economic and financial communications at the stock exchanges in Germany and the UK. With Mein Schiff 7, TUI Cruises will have 12 ships from June and is one of the most modern and successful cruise shipping companies. He is taking on an exciting leadership role in a dynamic industry and in a joint venture that is extremely important for us at TUI.”

The successor to Kuzey Esener at TUI Group headquarters as of 1 August will be announced in due course.

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.