Warsaw/Hanover, 6 December 2024

TUI is driving forward its growth plans for Eastern Europe

  • TUI's Group Executive Committee meeting in Warsaw underlines the strategic importance of the market for growth plans in Eastern Europe
  • TUI CEO Sebastian Ebel: “New markets, new products and more customers: TUI Poland is the blueprint for our future success in Eastern Europe.”

The TUI Group Executive Committee is meeting this week at TUI Poland in Warsaw, underlining the strategic importance of the Polish market for TUI Group's growth plans in Eastern Europe. More than one million Polish guests already travel with TUI. Turkey, Greece and Spain are their most popular summer destinations. The number of Polish holidaymakers is expected to continue to grow significantly. The awareness of the TUI brand, a harmonized technological platform and the use of artificial intelligence are key drivers for achieving these ambitious goals. The most important distribution channels in the country are the TUI.pl website and 204 TUI travel shops.

During his visit to Warsaw, TUI CEO Sebastian Ebel said: “New markets, new products and more customers: TUI Poland is the blueprint for the expansion of our business in Eastern Europe and for additional growth. TUI Poland has a very clear positioning, and that is the source of its success: Focus, customer centricity and travel offerings tailored to the Polish market and the customers' preferences. These include not only the export hit of package tours, but also additional services such as excursions and insurance.”

David Schelp is the TUI Group Executive Board member responsible for Markets & Airline. Speaking at the Group Executive Committee meeting in Warsaw, he said: “TUI is currently active in 16 source markets. More will be added in the future. The Polish market is particularly important for Eastern Europe: TUI Poland is leading the way and is already demonstrating what TUI's future in new markets will look like: customer focus, entrepreneurial thinking and cost awareness. In Poland, we have rolled out a business model and technology platform that we will now bring to new markets in Eastern Europe. I am convinced that we will replicate the success of TUI Poland in other countries, too.”

Recently, TUI Group presented its growth roadmap for the Czech Republic. The aim is to double the current customer numbers there next summer. Similar roadmaps have been prepared for other countries in Eastern Europe. These markets are part of the new Expansion Businesses unit within the Markets & Airline Board department headed by David Schelp. In addition to new markets such as TUI Poland, TUI also bundles products and services in this sector whose business models can be scaled globally. These include, for example, TUI Cars, a platform for booking rental cars. The Expansion Businesses are a pillar of TUI's growth strategy, aimed at winning more customers in new markets with new products.

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.