Sebastian Ebel meets EU policy makers

When it comes to sustainable transformation of our society and economy, key decisions are made in the EU. That is why Sebastian Ebel (CEO TUI Group) and Thomas Ellerbeck (Member of the Board Executive Committee and Chairman of the Board at the TUI Care Foundation) travelled to the Brussels EU district to meet key political decision makers. 

TUI’s vision for European tourism

In a series of meetings, Sebastian Ebel and Thomas Ellerbeck discussed the outlook of the sector and introduced TUI's vision under its new leadership. Many discussions revolved around TUI’s new Sustainability Agenda and the SBTi certified roadmap for airlines, cruises, and hotels. In anticipation of an upcoming revision of the EU consumer protection rules for our sector (Package Travel Directive), Sebastian Ebel stressed the need to retain fair competition rules in the European travel market. 

In dialogue with Commissioner Thierry Breton

TUI CEO Sebastian Ebel (l.) with Thierry Breton, Commissioner for Internal Market of the EU (r.).

On 28 February 2023, Thierry Breton, current Commissioner for Internal Market of the European Union, welcomed Sebastian Ebel and Thomas Ellerbeck at the Berlaymont Commission building in Brussels to discuss the state of play of the European tourism ecosystem and the challenges related to its digital and green transition. Europe is in the challenging but crucial project of building back better. That is, helping the economy and society to recover from the pandemic, whilst using this momentum to advance in the sustainable transformation, becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. 

The message was clear: TUI remains committed to the goals of a more sustainable tourism. Moving in this direction, we have now set ambitious reduction targets for greenhouse gas emission for 2030: 24 percent reduction for TUI Airline, at least 46.2 percent for hotels and 27.5 percent for cruises. This is in line with TUI’s broadening of its product offer or further digitalising its services and processes, to remain innovative, agile and competitive. 

Shaping sustainable tourism together with the EU Parliament

Sebastian Ebel presenting during the policy lunch in Brussels with MEPs and policy makers.

Planet, People, Progress – TUI’s sustainability slogan came up once again during the lunch with a group of over ten Members of the European Parliament, as well as high level representatives from the European Commission, the Member States and other decision makers. A key topic of discussion revolved around the conditions to create a solid European tourism sector, sustainable and for the benefit of local communities. In this sense, beyond the green transformation, skills development and training in the travel and tourism industry were also addressed. During the lunch, Sebastian Ebel once again raised the need to have a fair regulatory framework for European companies and a level playing field with the US based travel platforms.