TUI Posts Record 2025 Results, Strong Holiday Demand and Global Expansion Power Future Growth in Travel Sector

Published on December 13, 2025

The global tourism sector witnessed a milestone year as TUI closed the 2025 financial period with its strongest operating performance to date. Despite a challenging and highly competitive market environment, the company achieved record profitability, underlining the resilience of its integrated travel model and the growing appeal of its proprietary holiday products.

For the full 2025 financial year, TUI recorded its highest-ever underlying EBIT at €1.46 billion, representing a 12.6 percent year-on-year increase and significantly outperforming earlier growth expectations. Group revenue also showed solid momentum, rising by 4.4 percent to €24.2 billion. These results reflect robust consumer demand for holidays, continued pricing strength, and strong operational execution across core business segments.

A total of 34.7 million travellers chose TUI for their holidays during the year, reinforcing the company’s position as one of the world’s leading tourism groups. Demand remained particularly strong for integrated travel experiences that combine flights, accommodation, cruises, and in-destination services under a single booking platform.

Holiday Experiences Drive Profit Growth

The Holiday Experiences division once again emerged as the main engine of profitability. This segment, which includes hotels and resorts, cruise operations, and destination experiences, delivered underlying EBIT of €1.31 billion, a sharp increase from the previous year.

Hotels and resorts continued their upward trajectory, benefiting from higher average rates and strong occupancy levels. The portfolio achieved a new EBIT record of €759 million, supported by sustained growth across branded properties and expanding international presence. The hotel business remains a strategic pillar, with a growing pipeline aimed at strengthening TUI’s footprint in key leisure destinations worldwide.

Cruise operations also posted exceptional results, reflecting strong market conditions and rising consumer interest in sea-based holidays. Underlying EBIT from cruises climbed to €482 million, supported by high capacity utilisation, increased passenger days, and improved daily yields. Fleet expansion played a central role, with new ships entering service and further additions scheduled, positioning the cruise segment for continued long-term growth. Average capacity utilisation reached an impressive 99 percent, while available passenger days rose sharply, highlighting the strength of demand across European and international cruise markets.

The destination experiences business also delivered notable progress. Sales of excursions, activities, transfers, and tours increased steadily, with millions of travellers opting to enhance their holidays through curated in-destination products. This segment improved profitability significantly, reflecting both higher volumes and better operational efficiency.

Markets and Airline Segment Invests for the Future

The Markets and Airline division recorded revenue growth in line with stable booking volumes and higher pricing. However, underlying EBIT declined compared to the previous year as the company increased investment in transformation initiatives, technology platforms, and global marketplace expansion.

These investments are focused on building a more flexible and scalable travel ecosystem, offering customers greater choice through dynamically packaged holidays while maintaining the security and service standards of traditional package travel. Dynamic travel packages gained strong traction during the year, with millions of customers choosing flexible combinations of flights, accommodation, and services. Capacity utilisation across airline and tour operating activities remained high at over 90 percent, demonstrating disciplined capacity management in a competitive environment.

Performance varied across regional markets, reflecting differing competitive pressures and economic conditions. Northern and Central regions remained profitable, while Western markets faced headwinds linked to intense competition and higher cost pressures.

Strengthened Balance Sheet and Financial Stability

Alongside operational success, TUI made significant progress in strengthening its financial position. Net debt was reduced to €1.3 billion, and the net debt ratio improved to 0.6x, reflecting disciplined cash management and improved earnings. Credit rating upgrades from major agencies further reinforced confidence in the group’s financial stability and future prospects.

This stronger balance sheet provides the foundation for a more balanced capital allocation strategy, including the introduction of a sustainable dividend policy from the 2026 financial year onward.

Technology and Distribution at the Core of Growth

Technology remains central to TUI’s long-term strategy. The company continues to invest in digital platforms, artificial intelligence, and new distribution partnerships to make its travel content more accessible, discoverable, and bookable across multiple channels. AI-enabled planning tools are increasingly supporting complex itinerary design, while traditional travel agencies remain a vital sales channel, particularly for premium and long-haul holidays where expert advice adds significant value.

Positive Booking Trends and Outlook for 2026

Booking momentum has remained positive into the first half of the 2026 financial year. Demand for differentiated holiday products continues to perform strongly, while winter bookings have shown resilience despite ongoing market competition. Early indicators for summer 2026 are encouraging, supporting expectations of continued growth.

Looking ahead, TUI anticipates moderate revenue growth of 2 to 4 percent in 2026, alongside a projected 7 to 10 percent increase in underlying EBIT. Medium-term ambitions include sustained annual EBIT growth, further debt reduction to below a 0.5x ratio, and regular dividend payments linked to earnings performance.

With an expanding hotel portfolio, a growing cruise fleet, and a transforming global marketplace, TUI enters the next phase of its journey with a clear focus on profitable growth, operational excellence, and delivering seamless end-to-end travel experiences worldwide.