TUI’s chief operating officer Sebastian Ebel has highlighted the challenges witnessed in his first financial year as CEO, highlighting that the company is “back on course” and “looking towards the new financial year with confidence,” having paid back the state loans and now operating at a profit again.
Describing the 19 million customers who travelled with TUI in the financial year 2023 (13% more than in 2022), the company’s markets and operators are “growing profitably,” with market share acquired Germany. Complementing “robust” growth in France and the Netherlands, TUI also reached a million customers in Poland last year for the first time, despite UK markets retaining tougher competition.
However, with growth comes increased environmental awareness. Criticising any travel company not adopting a sustainable view as “undermining its own business model,” Ebel outlined TUI’s intention to cut estimated C02 emissions per passenger by nearly a quarter by 2030. TUI also intends to exceed the statutory blending requirements of SAF, he added, “even if these biofuel blends currently cost three to five times as much”.
However, warning that “politicians cannot keep piling new strains on [the industry],” Ebel highlighted his opinion that the package holiday is being deliberately being priced up by statutory obligations. “Flying is demonised,” he added, adding that the standardisation of European air traffic control would “consistently permit routes and procedures to be as climate-friendly as possible”; something which, if achieved, would reduce climate emissions in European airspace by around 5-10%.