TUI is stepping up its hotel expansion strategy with more Magic Life and TUI Blue properties as well as the launch of Family Life hotels.
Europe’s largest tourism group plans to expand the number of TUI Magic Life resorts, the all-inclusive resorts offering broad sport and entertainment programmes for German-speaking families, couples and singles, to broaden its geographical footprint. “In the next three years we want to increase the number of clubs from 13 at present to 20,” said the brand’s CEO Andreas Pospiech.
Top of his wish-list for new resorts is Spain, along with potential locations in Italy, the Cape Verde islands, Portugal, Greece, Morocco, Croatia and Bulgaria. Long-haul destinations such as the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Thailand are also in focus. The current 13 clubs are located in Spain, Greece, Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia.
Meanwhile, the new hotel brand TUI Blue is expanding its portfolio. Following the launch of the first two hotels in Turkey in May, two further hotels will follow before the end of the year, with one TUI Blue hotel to open in Schladming in Austria in November, followed by the launch of a further hotel on Fleesensee in Germany. These involve the re-branding of two existing hotels: the aqi Hotel Schladming in the Austrian Alps and the Iberotel Fleesensee in the Mecklenburg lake district north of Berlin. In addition, a further TUI Blue hotel in the five-star segment is under construction in Castelfalfi in Tuscany, expected to open in the spring of 2017.
“By expanding to the land-based destinations of Austria, Germany and Italy, we are demonstrating that our concept also works in the mountains or at lakesides. I am delighted that we will be able to tap further attractive and popular locations for TUI Blue with our new resorts,” said Artur Gerber, Managing Director TUI Blue.
In parallel, the first of ten planned TUI Family Life hotels opened on Rhodes on April 19 to be followed by the newly-built Blue Lagoon Village Deluxe on Kos on April 23. The other Family Life hotels will be on Majorca, Menorca, Gran Canaria, Crete, Cyprus, Corfu and Chalkidiki. The new international all-inclusive hotel brand is targeted at families with a broad sport and entertainment programme.
