Hamburg, 9 May 2018

TUI Group delivers strong H1 2018 performance – Growth continues, all trends intact

Hotel companies and cruise businesses reflect the Group’s strength

  • H1 2018: Underlying EBITA up 26.0 per cent
  • Turnover grows by 7.2 per cent
  • Full-year guidance for 2018: Underlying EBITA growth of at least 10 per cent1 reiterated
  • Summer 2018: Very good trading performance fully matches our expectations
  • Cruise fleet: Green light given by TUI Group Supervisory and Executive Boards for third Hanseatic class new build for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises – Scheduled for delivery in 2021
  • CEO Fritz Joussen: “TUI delivers turnover and earnings growth and continues to invest in new cruise ships and hotels. With the youngest cruise fleet in the market at TUI Cruises, we continue to set the standard in ocean cruises, a market with great future potential.”
  • Today: Investors’ Day hosted aboard the new Mein Schiff 1 in Hamburg

“We continue to deliver growth, all trends remain intact, and our very good trading performance for summer 2018 fully matches our expectations. At growth of 26 per in our operating result and seven per cent in turnover, TUI Group concludes the first half of financial year 2018 with a very strong set of results, and we reiterate our full-year guidance,” said TUI Group CEO Fritz Joussen at the presentation of the Group’s H1 results on board the new Mein Schiff 1 in Hamburg. He added: “The very good earnings growth of 26 per cent in H1 2018 is driven by the continued strong demand for our holiday experiences. We offer the right products in the market: TUI hotel brands such as RIU, Robinson and TUI Blue and in particular TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff fleet are setting standards around the globe. Forecasts for cruising are excellent. German and European holidaymakers are beginning to embrace this way to travel. Due to demographic change, traditional target groups are growing. At the same time, sea voyages are becoming increasingly popular among families and younger people. The convergence of these two very promising trends will further accelerate growth over the next five to ten years. And we are only at the beginning of this trend.” Additional new vessels will be delivered to TUI Group’s cruise subsidiaries in 2018, 2019 and 2023 in order to further expand their market position. Moreover, TUI Group’s Supervisory and Executive Boards gave the green light for the construction of a third expedition cruise ship for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises on Tuesday. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises will shortly launch the planning and negotiation process for a further Hanseatic class ship. “This market is growing strongly. Thanks to its experience, competence and high quality standards, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises offers great potential to attract new international customer groups and deliver stronger growth in the expedition cruise segment,” said Joussen.

TUI Group’s investments and growth roadmap also focus on TUI Group’s hotel companies: RIU, Robinson, TUI Magic Life and the young hotel brand TUI Blue. The Group will continue to expand its portfolio of own hotels, which currently comprises more than 380 hotels. Only last week, two new TUI Blue hotels were opened in Marmaris, Turkey and in Mallorca. TUI Blue’s portfolio has thus grown to ten hotels. The Group’s Spanish hotel brand RIU remains another key earnings and growth driver. RIU is also growing with new hotel projects in Europe, the Caribbean and South East Asia. The brand features strong occupancy rates and traditionally high profitability levels.

Overview – H1 2018 highlights:
In the period under review (1 October 2017 to 31 March 2018), TUI Group increased its turnover by 7.2 per cent to 6.81 billion euros (previous year 6.35 billion euros). On a constant currency basis, the Group posted growth of 8.5 per cent to 6.89 billion euros. The seasonal underlying EBITA loss was improved by 26.0 per cent to -158.6 million euros including several one-off effects (previous year -214.3 million euros). Apart from the foreign exchange translation impact and the Easter effect (earlier timing of Easter in 2018), the Group incurred costs in the wake of the insolvency of the Niki airline and recorded gains on disposal from sales of RIU hotels in the period under review. On a constant currency basis, underlying EBITA improved by 29.8 per cent to -150.5 million euros.

Segmental performance – Holiday Experiences

TUI Hotels & Resorts delivers strong result
Hotels & Resorts delivered a significant improvement in its operating result in H1 2018. The segment benefited from various factors including an overall increase in average occupancy of its hotels and higher average rates. It also adjusted and streamlined its portfolio: The segment realised a gain of 38 million euros from the sale of three RIU hotels.

  • Underlying EBITA: +45.9 per cent to 179.2 million euros (previous year 122.8 million euros)
  • Underlying EBITA at constant currency rates: +48.2 per cent to 182.0 million euros
  • Average revenue per bed: 71 euros (previous year 70 euros)
  • Average occupancy: 77.1 per cent (previous year 75.3 per cent).

For summer 2018, the segment is planning to open five new TUI hotels including Riu Astoria in Bulgaria, a TUI Sensatori hotel in Rhodes and the recently acquired Riu Palace Zanzibar.

Cruises continues growth path – more capacity, higher rates, higher earnings
The Cruises segment remains on a growth path. The positive trends and forecasts for the next few years have also been confirmed by current growth rates. In the period under review, the segment delivered strong growth in underlying EBITA:

  • Underlying EBITA: +23.2 per cent to 92.4 million euros (previous year 75.0 million euros)
  • Underlying EBITA at constant currency rates: +24.0 per cent to 93.0 million euros
  • Average rate per passenger per day:
    • ​TUI Cruises 148 euros (previous year 147 euros)
    • Marella Cruises 136 GBP (previous year 127 GBP)2
    •  Hapag-Lloyd Cruises 600 euros (previous year 595 euros)
  • Average occupancy:
    • TUI Cruises 98.9 per cent (previous year 99.7 per cent)
    • Marella Cruises 99.6per cent (previous year 99.6 per cent)
    • Hapag-Lloyd Cruises 76.4 per cent (previous year 73.8 per cent)

Due to the continued rise in demand, TUI is planning to expand the segment through additional new builds.

Destination Experiences
The TUI Destination Experiences segment delivered a good operating performance in the period under review. In H1, the number of customer arrivals was up 5 per cent. TUI is planning to further expand this segment covering services, excursions and experience offerings in the destinations. As TUI CEO Fritz Joussen announced in March, this segment will be another growth pillar for the Group. TUI’s Spanish subsidiary TUI Destination Services has therefore been renamed as TUI Destination Experiences in order to highlight the expansion of its business purpose and services to the market, TUI’s business associates as well as its customers.

  • Underlying EBITA at constant currency rates: -7.6 million euros

Sales & Marketing: 5.5 per cent growth in customer volumes across all regions, turnover up 7.8 per cent across the regions
The Sales & Marketing companies in the source market regions delivered a sound operating performance in H1 2018, in particular in the Nordic countries and Benelux. Customer volumes grew by 5.5 per cent across all regions, with total turnover climbing by 7.8 per cent to 5.76 billion euros (previous year 5.35 billion euros). At 19 million euros, underlying EBITA benefited from the earlier timing of Easter in 2018. 

  • Underlying EBITA across all regions: +3.1 per cent to -371.9 million euros (previous year -383.9 million euros)
  • Underlying EBITA across all regions at constant currency rates: +2.8 per cent to -373.3 million euros  

In Northern Region (UK & Ireland, Nordic countries, Canada, Russia), the Nordic countries delivered a substantial increase in earnings. This was partly attributable to the very strong trading performance, the implementation of the Group’s centrally launched Yield Management and CRM systems and the migration from the local brand to the global TUI brand. In the UK, demand remained strong. The rebranding from Thomson to TUI was successfully completed with an additional cost of 20 million euros in the period under review. Earnings by the region also include a benefit of 15 million euros from the earlier timing of Easter in 2018.

  • Underlying EBITA Northern Region: +12.7 per cent to -120.5 million euros (previous year -138.0 million euros)
  • Underlying EBITA Northern Region at constant currency rates: +11.8 per cent to -121.7 million euros

Central Region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland) recorded a strong increase in volumes: In the period under review, 2.418 million guests from Central Region travelled with TUI. This is an increase of 12.7 per cent versus the prior year (2.146 million). Germany recorded strong demand for holidays, with volumes up 10 per cent. In aviation, two effects almost offset each other in the period under review: The result reflected the non-repeat of last year’s sickness event in TUI fly (benefit of 24 million euros), which was almost offset by the write-off of a wet lease receivable of 20 million euros as a result of the Niki insolvency. Central Region posted a positive Easter effect of 2 million euros.

  • Underlying EBITA Central Region: -1.5 per cent to -145.8 million euros (previous year -143.7 million euros)

  • Underlying EBITA Central Region at constant currency rates: -1.6 per cent to -146.0 million euros

In Western Region (Belgium, Netherlands, France), Benelux performed well in H1 2018. The region also benefited from the non-repeat of the rebranding costs incurred in Belgium in the prior year for the migration to the global TUI master brand. In France, the situation remains challenging. This is partly due to the full inclusion of the trading losses of Transat, acquired in October 2016, and additional marketing costs to support the rebrand from Transat to TUI. Volumes across the region climbed by 4.1 per cent. The benefit from the earlier timing of Easter totalled 2 million euros.

  • Underlying EBITA Western Region: -3.3 per cent to -105.6 million euros (previous year -102.2 million euros)

Very good trading performance – summer 2018 continues to fully meet our expectations
Trading for Summer 2018 (as at 29 April 2018) is very good and fully matches our expectations. Demand for Spain remains strong. Particularly strong growth in bookings is recorded for Turkey, North Africa and Greece. Destinations such as Cyprus, Croatia or Bulgaria also report a sound increase in bookings.

  • Source market turnover: +7 per cent1
  • Bookings: +5 per cent

1 on a constant currency basis
2 including all package tour elements

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 Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, in the regulated market of the Lower Saxony Stock Exchange in Hanover and in the FTSE 250, an index of the London Stock Exchange. 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 16 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.