TUI Group Launches New Strategy to Shape Future of Sustainable Tourism

TUI Group has launched a new five-year sustainability strategy named “Better Holidays, Better World”, an announcement on Monday said. The ambitious 2020 strategy is built around three core pillars to help shape the future of sustainable tourism.

“Our ‘Better Holidays, Better World’ strategy is the next, exciting, chapter in TUI’s sustainability journey”, Fritz Joussen, CEO, TUI Group said.

By 2020, TUI has pledged to cut the carbon intensity of its airline, cruise and ground operations by a further 10 percent, deliver 10 million “greener and fairer” holidays (defined as those that include a hotel with a credible sustainability certification recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council) per year and invest 10 million euros per year to enhance the positive impacts of tourism. In regard to the latter, TUI aims to innovate, invest in youth, tourism skills and education, and collaborate with destinations to pioneer sustainable tourism across the world.

“As the world’s largest tourism business, we recognise our responsibility to pioneer and influence change for more sustainable tourism”, Jane Ashton, Director of Sustainability, TUI Group, said.

“Better Holidays, Better World” builds on the strong sustainability legacy of both TUI AG and TUI Travel PLC before their merger in late 2014. The strategy demonstrates a step change in approach, with commitments to influence, innovate and invest in more sustainable tourism.

“We do not underestimate the sustainability challenges that lie ahead for us and for the wider industry as international tourist arrivals grow from 1.1 bn in 2014 to 1.8 billion in 2030. ‘Better Holidays, Better World’ is our response to these challenges and we are delighted to see that tourism will also play an important role in the new UN Sustainable Development Goals”, Ms Ashton said.

The three pillars of the new strategy cover TUI’s operations, the value chain, customers, and the wider industry and beyond.

To make “Better Holidays, Better World” a reality, TUI will collaborate with stakeholders such as customers, suppliers, educational and training establishments, governments and UN organisations to effect change at scale.

TUI has been recognised over the years by experts such as CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project), Dow Jones Sustainability Index and FTSE4Good.

Photo source: TUI Group