Tui UK and Ireland reports Black Friday sales ‘particularly encouraging’

The boss of Tui UK and Ireland has reported “encouraging” Black Friday sales as Brits continue to defy economic challenges and prioritise travel.

The comments from Neil Swanson, Tui UK and Ireland managing director, came after the Tui Group revealed its annual profits had surged by a third to €1.3 billion.

Tui’s northern region, which includes the UK and Ireland, saw year-on-year earnings before taxes and interest (EBIT) more than double from €71 million to €165 million in the 12 months to September 30.

Swanson said: “Today’s results show we’ve seen strong demand throughout the year, demonstrating that Brits are prioritising their holidays despite economic challenges.

“Our recent Black Friday sales were particularly encouraging, with strong performance both in retail stores and via our app.

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“Our strength in our tour operator holidays continues to be a cornerstone of our success and it’s also clear that people are continuing to look for flexibility in their travel options.

“We’re meeting this demand through a combination of our own flying and dynamic packaging options, allowing us to offer a wide range of choices to suit various customer preferences.”

He said that sales for 2025 were indicating a “growing interest in North African destinations” while and Italy is “standing out”.

“Further afield, Indian Ocean destinations such as Zanzibar and Mauritius are performing well, and our all-inclusive product with quality service remains important for our customers,” he added.

“We’re committed to making things as simple as possible for our customers. This includes offering flexible payment options to help with planning ahead and providing support through a combination of our 24/7 app service and face-to-face assistance in retail stores and overseas.

“As we look to the future, we anticipate further growth by continuing to offer customers the flexibility they want.

“This will be achieved through a balanced approach, utilising both our own flying capabilities and partnerships with other airlines, allowing customers to fly to more destinations, from their chosen airport, and for their preferred duration.”

Meanwhile, the boss of Tui’s Marella Cruises brand hailed the cruise line’s contribution to the group results.

Chris Hackney, Marella Cruises managing director, said: “We are thrilled with the performance of Marella Cruises this year, which has made a significant contribution to Tui Group’s results.

“The strong trading environment coupled with the products we offer, drove an increase in occupancy across the fleet.

“Passenger numbers also rose notably this financial year, driven by the success of our newest addition to the fleet, Marella Voyager which joined in summer 2023.

“The cruise industry is incredibly buoyant, and our customers are continuing to value our TUI end-to-end service, regional flights from 22 local airports in the UK and of course our all-inclusive proposition.

“With our new range of cruise durations, we are well-positioned to meet the evolving demands of the cruise industry in the UK.”