TUI Hotels & Resorts is
busy establishing its
formidable presence in
South Africa, starting with an
offering of five properties in
key destinations.
Its flagship brand, TUI Blue
Hotels, which offers both
non-inclusive and all-inclusive
experiences, is the brand
being launched in SA.
TUI is a behemoth in Europe
and Asia and is the largest
tourism company in the
world, but the brand is not
well known to local agents
and tour operators. Alexis
Bekker, who represents
TUI Hotels & Resorts in SA,
plans to
change
that.
“TUI Blue chose properties
in locations that South
Africans are comfortable with
and that are popular sells in
the market,” she says.
The group acquired Dream
of Zanzibar over a year ago
and will redevelop the hotel
to open as TUI Blue Bahari
on July 1. TUI Blue Hotel
Nam Hoi An will open south
of Hoi An, Vietnam on March
24. Two properties in the
Maldives (Robinson Club
Maldives and Robinson
Club Noonu) and
one in Thailand
(Robinson Club
Khao Lak) are
currently open
for bookings.
Marko
Muthig,
regional director of sales
Asia for the TUI group, told
TNW on a recent visit to
Johannesburg that what sets
these resorts, which are part
of the Robinson Club, apart
from those of well-known
competitors is that while TUI
Blue offers a participatory
element at its resorts, guests
are free to choose or ignore
these activities. “We are a
premium product that guests
can experience on their own
terms,” he says.
Alexis is tasked with
engaging contracted tour
operators in the SA market,
who will then handle the
packaging for agents. Agents
wanting to make reservations
should contact their preferred
tour operators.
Marko says TUI will protect
tour operators’ rates if
agents find cheaper deals
online. “The group’s core
business is tour operating
and it strongly believes in
protecting members of
the trade.”
