TUI confirms EBIT outlook following the third quarter – booking momentum picks up – integrated business model with own hotels and ships proves its resilience in a volatile environment

September 9, 2026 - 04:29

TUI Group has confirmed its earnings forecast for the full year, pointing to a pickup in booking momentum after a solid third quarter. The travel giant said its integrated structure, which combines its own hotels, cruise ships, and airlines, is holding up well even as the market stays unpredictable.

The company runs around 1,600 travel agencies, six airlines with roughly 150 planes, more than 300 hotels with 214,000 beds, and 17 cruise liners. That mix, according to TUI, gives it an edge when external conditions shift quickly, because it can steer customers toward its own properties and vessels rather than relying only on third-party suppliers.

Bookings for the coming months have strengthened since the summer, TUI said, without giving exact numbers in the statement. The group repeated its earlier guidance for underlying earnings before interest and taxes to grow by at least 7 percent this year compared to last year. That outlook stays unchanged despite cost pressures and some softness in certain source markets.

Executives noted that demand for package holidays, especially to sun destinations in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands, remains healthy. The cruise division also continues to perform well, with occupancy rates running ahead of the same period last year.

TUI also pointed to early signs that winter season sales are coming in stronger than initially expected, helped by late deals and repeat customers. The company said it remains cautious about the broader economy but confident in its ability to manage through the current climate thanks to its owned assets and direct distribution network. A fuller update is expected when the group publishes its final third-quarter results later this month.