TUI to focus on long-haul expansion in summer 2017
Thomson and First Choice have expanded their range of long-haul holidays for summer 2017 with the addition of St Lucia and Cayo St Maria off the island of Cuba.
Both will be served by Thomson’s 787 Dreamliner.
The operator has also added holidays to Olbia in Sardinia, four more adults-only hotels in the Sensimar collection, which was launched last year, and two new Thomson Family Life Resorts in Olbia and Croatia.
The operators confirmed that from summer 2017 they will use the TUI brand.
Thomson’s newest cruise ship, launching this June, will be the first to bear the brand, having been renamed TUI Discovery. It will also be the first ship in the fleet to offer an all-inclusive drinks package.
Nick Longman, managing director of TUI UK & Ireland, said: "TUI is a recognised and trusted brand in other countries and we want customers in the UK to get to know and love it too as we transition from Thomson to TUI.
"Investment in our product to enhance and personalise the customer experience is fundamental to the ethos of the TUI brand and what better way to demonstrate this than unveiling our newest addition as TUI Discovery and introducing all-inclusive as standard.
"The introduction of TUI Discovery marks a new era for our cruise business in the UK which will continue with the introduction of two more TUI ships to the fleet over the next three years."
For summer 2017 the Thomson fleet will be based in the western Mediterranean, the eastern Mediterranean and the UK for the first time since 2014.
TUI Discover and Thomson Majesty will both be based in Palma and Thomson Dream will sail from Corfu. Thomson Spirit will move to Dubrovnik and offer adult-only cruises. Thomson Celebration will sail from Malaga in May and October and from Newcastle from June to September.
New for 2017 are sailings to the Norwegian Fjords, Scandinavia and the Baltics; more choice in the Mediterranean visiting classics like Venice, Italy; and Athens (Piraeus), Greece; Cadiz, Spain; and a range of durations from four to 14 nights.
Mark Hall, director of product for Thomson and First Choice, said summer 2017 was its ‘biggest programme ever’.
It will go on sale later this month.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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