German travel giant TUI says bookings are finally returning to normal levels despite a summer dominated by geopolitical turmoil, soaring jet‑fuel prices and extreme weather across Europe.
Presenting its latest financial results on Wednesday, the world’s largest travel group reported that while booked summer revenue remains six percent lower than last year, bookings over the past four weeks have jumped seven percent, signalling a strong rebound.
The company says travellers are showing renewed confidence in Eastern Mediterranean destinations, a region that had seen months of uncertainty due to the ongoing Mideast war. “Business is coming back, it’s normalizing,” chief executive Sebastian Ebel told investors. “We have seen strong weeks.”
Europe’s tourism sector has been hit hard this season. Jet‑fuel prices have surged because of the US and Israeli war against Iran, forcing airlines and cruise operators to absorb higher operating costs and prompting many customers to rethink travel plans. Heatwaves and wildfires in Spain, France, Portugal and Greece have added further disruption.
Still, TUI’s latest figures show signs of recovery. Hotel occupancy fell three percent in the quarter ending June an improvement from the six percent drop recorded over the previous six months. The company had issued a profit warning in April after the Mideast conflict forced it to repatriate 10,000 travellers, including 5,000 stranded on two cruise ships in the Gulf.
Asked whether Europe’s scorching temperatures and forest fires were affecting demand, Ebel said TUI had seen “nothing so far,” noting that many of its destinations were experiencing cooler weather than heatwave‑stricken Germany. He added that wildfires in TUI’s non‑Mediterranean markets were fewer than usual.
Despite a turbulent season, TUI’s latest data suggests travellers are eager to return and the industry may be stabilising faster than expected.
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