Fuerteventura, 5 December 2018

Back to the future: TUI celebrates reopening of the world’s first Robinson Club

  • TUI established first premium club resort in Fuerteventura in the 1970s
  • Robinson Club Jandia Playa is a milestone of tourism development in the island
  • New building, finished within just one year, incorporates state-of-the-art standards

A club with cult status has reinvented itself: Yesterday, TUI celebrated the reopening of Robinson Club Jandia Playa in Fuerteventura with around 450 guests. TUI had recognised the potential of the destination in the early 1970s and established the world’s first resort operated by thepremium club provider on the island. The traditional club provider has now set newstandards. After a construction phase of less than one year, the club’s landmark has been renewed and the multi-storey main building replaced by a new building incorporating state-of-the-art standards. The guests attending the elaborately staged evening event included numerous VIPs, athletes, political representatives from theCanaries and members of TUI Group’s Executive Board.

“We are witnessing both the past and future of our hotel segment here. Not only will TUI turn 50 these days, our tourism group has also partnered with the Canaries for just as long. With the renewal of our first Robinson Club worldwide, we are continuing this success story in Fuerteventura, setting new standards in the premium club segment and driving the development of our brand further ahead,” said Sebastian Ebel, TUI Group Executive Board member responsible for Hotels & Resorts. “This is the birthplace of Robinson. The idea for a new hotel concept was born at the beach onthe island’s southern coast, still undeveloped at the time. Today, we are transferringRobinson’s spirit to this new building,” added Bernd Mäser, Spokesman of the Management Board at Robinson Club GmbH.

Through its Robinson Club, TUI played a key role in the development of tourism in Fuerteventura and the Canaries. Today, the islands are one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world among guests from all source markets travelling with the holiday group. Due to their diversity and hospitality, in particular, the Canaries are an attractive year-round holiday destination. Three Canary Islands are among the five most frequently booked destinations among TUI Group customers this Winter season:

Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and Lanzarote. Fuerteventura again tops the list of German TUI customers’ preferred destinations for this Winter. TUI operates a total of 34 hotels in the Canaries. The archipelago also plays a major role for the cruise business. TUIGroup’s three cruise lines call at a total of six ports in the Canaries, including San Sebastian in Fuerteventura.

The distinctive “torre”, the multi-storey landmark building at ROBINSON Club Jandia Playa, is a milestone in the history of tourism in Fuerteventura. In the 1970s, the resort was one of the first tourist hotels on the coast of Morro Jable. Nearly 50 years later, the Canaries have become a trending destination, and the holiday club with a long- standing tradition has welcomed around a million holidaymakers. With the new “torre”building, Robinson has set new standards. The guests will enjoy comprehensive comfort across ten storeys with 144 spacious double rooms, 26 suites and a rooftop bar with an infinity pool. The new building has undergone certification by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) and been awarded a platinum certificate.

Robinson will continue to grow in the next few years. In the Cape Verde Island of Sal, the club operator will open the adults-only Robinson Club Cabo Verde in Winter 2019/20, which will above all attract water sports enthusiasts. In 2020, Robinson Club Ierapetra will open in the Greek island of Crete for all target groups.

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.

About Robinson

ROBINSON is a premium brand and leader of resort vacations, offering a unique holiday experience in 24 resorts in fourteen countries with a capacity of around 15.100 beds. By providing outstanding entertainment and competent, creative childcare as well as, a wide range of locally sourced fresh cuisine prepared by premier chefs, new trend sports and activities, ROBINSON Club is the ideal holiday choice for families, couples and single travellers.