TUI: UK summer bookings down, but prices up
TUI’s UK summer bookings are 3% down on last year, but average selling prices are up by 5%.
The travel giant said this year’s figures compared with a very strong start to early trading the year before.
To date, 60% of this summer’s programme has been sold.
"We have made selected capacity increases in unique product in destinations such as Greece, Ibiza and Lanzarote, in line with demand," it said.
"Sales of unique holidays account for 85% of holidays sold to date, up by three percentage points. This Summer we have further expanded our highly successful Sensatori offering with the launch of a new resort in Jamaica.
"Sales of our other unique concepts, such as Couples, Holiday Village and Splashworld, are significantly higher than prior year."
Online sales now account for 47% of summer holidays booked, up four percentage points on the previous year.
Across all markets, overall mainstream bookings are down slightly against strong comparatives, with average selling prices up 2%.
Meanwhile, TUI said winter 2013/14 has closed out as expected, with strong pricing across the mainstream sector overall, despite a challenging trading environment in the Nordics.
"Mainstream bookings were down by 2% excluding Egypt with average selling prices up 3%. Including Egypt, bookings were down 6%, with average selling prices up 2%," it said.
The figures were disclosed as TUI reported an operating loss of £298 million in the six months to end of March, slightly more than the £289 million it lost in the same period last year.
The results were better than forecast, particularly as the Easter holidays fell outside the period this year.
TUI said it remained confident of achieving its growth target this year of 7% to 10% underlying operating profit growth on a constant currency basis.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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