Many politicians still don’t understand the value of tourism. This was stated by Sebastian Ebel, CEO of TUI Group, on Monday evening in Berlin during the presentation of the TUI Global Hotels Awards 2024. Ebel emphasized that tourism has led to an increase in income and prosperity in various destinations. He pointed out that without this process, investments in education, sustainability and the reduction of CO2 emissions would not be possible. “If we limit ourselves to simple prohibition, it will only lead to poverty among the people. Therefore, tourism in Europe should be seen as an advantage and not a disadvantage.’ The good news, according to Ebel, is that tourism is strong and TUI is also a strong company. For this financial year, he expects a growth of 8 percent for TUI Group, ‘and maybe even 10 percent’. The presentation of the TUI Global Hotels Awards 2024 has become a tradition on the evening before the ITB starts. Of the 13,000 hotels TUI does business with, only 100 were invited to attend the evening. For each country (source market) where TUI is located, an award for best hotel in a destination was presented. Arjan Kers, managing director of TUI Netherlands and Belgium, presented the award for best hotel on the Dutch market. This one went to Rixos Sharm El Sheikh. Murat Alpman, Senior Vice President of Sales at Rixos, accepted the award. Kers introduced the presentation of the award in his own unique way. ‘Many people remember that the Dutch used to drive their caravans to southern Europe for their holidays. But that has changed with the increase in prosperity. Many people opt for quality and also for quality hotels in the destinations.’ Photo above: Sebastian Ebel, CEO of TUI Group, and Arjan Kers, managing director TUI Netherlands and Belgium.
Photo: Murat Alpman, Senior Vice President of Sales of Rixos hotels, with Arjan Kers.
