TUI group opens a sensimar concept hotel in Anse la Raie
The world’s number one tourism business group takes 100 journalists to Mauritius and launches its winter brochure
Travel to foreign countries is getting increasingly popular among Europeans. At TUI Group, the world’s largest travel group, this segment has continually grown for many years. Yearround sunshine destinations are proving particularly attractive. The company will therefore invest, for instance, in destinations in the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean in the next few years. “Apart from the Maldives and Sri Lanka, we above all see major potential in Mauritius. This destination is clearly one of out top growth markets of the future,” says Dr. Oliver Dörschuck, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of TUI Germany, Germany’s largest tour operator.
With bookings up by around 50 per cent, the destination in the Indian Ocean is one of TUI Germany’s fastest-growing destinations this summer. TUI UK, the Group’s UK organisation – with Thomson Airways Dreamliner B787 weekly flight from Gatwick since April 2014 and as from November of this year, a new weekly route from Manchester – is also recording double digit percentage growth as well as Benelux. For TUI France with Corsair International since 2006, Mauritius is the number two long-haul destination in terms of customer number.
In the Netherlands, the island state is the top newcomer in the long-haul segment. Scandinavia too, reports high growth rates for Mauritius with TUI Nordic’s flight from Stockholm, Helsinki and Copenhagen since December 2015. Mauritius is also an important destination for Poland with flights since November of last year.
German customers can choose from TUI’s current portfolio of more than 100 hotels in the island, covering all categories from mid-range three-star hotels all the way to six-star luxury resorts. A particular focus is on the target groups of couples and families. At the beginning of the winter season, TUI will open its first sensimar hotel in Mauritius.
Sensimar is TUI Group’s international hotel concept designed exclusively for couples operated. The four-star Sensimar Lagoon hotel is located in Anse la Raie and features typical regional architecture. Apart from its own kite surfing school, it also offers an extraordinary dinner concept: In order to discover the Creole lifestyle, holidaymakers may have dinner with Mauritian hotel employees as their guests.
Apart from Sensimar, TUI continues to expand with six other hotel brands and concepts worldwide. The most important hotel chain, which is also the largest with more than 100 hotels is RIU. In cooperation with the Spanish family-run company, in which TUI holds a 50 per cent stake, new hotel projects will be driven ahead in the next few years, above all in the long-haul segment. Two hotels have already been operated in Mauritius under this brand since early 2015 with the adults-only RIU Le Morne hotel and the Hotel RIU Creole family hotel.
“In the past three years, the number of German customers has doubled,” Oliver Dörschuck is pleased to report, citing the excellent climate conditions, exceptional beaches, great hospitality and premium hotel quality. “I expect demand for Mauritius to continue to rise over the next few years. That is why we are planning to consistently expand our flight and hotel portfolios.”
Dörschuck is currently staying in the island with around 100 German and Austrian journalists and travel bloggers. At the RIU Le Morne hotel, one of the Group’s 300 own hotels worldwide, the company will launch its new Winter 2016/17 brochures and present its current travel trends from 18 to 22 June. Of course, a special focus will be on Mauritius.
Apart from a press conference and various workshops, the media representatives will also have the opportunity to discover the island in the framework of several excursions. “Our stay in Mauritius is also a major PR campaign for this fantastic destination,” says Oliver Dörschuck. As the island also proves to be particularly popular among travellers with an affinity to luxury, TUI Germany will also present its luxury brand air tours via a road show that will last several days during which more than 200 German travel agents, bloggers and journalists will take part.
TUI Group is the world’s number one integrated tourism group operating in around 180 destinations worldwide. The company is domiciled in Germany. The TUI Group’s share is listed in the FTSE 100 index, the leading index of the London Stock Exchange and in the German open market. In financial year 2014/15, the TUI Group recorded turnover of €20.1bn and an operating result of €1.069bn. The Group employs 76,000 people in 130 countries. TUI offers its 30 million customers comprehensive services from a single source. It covers the entire touristic value chain under one roof.
This comprises leading tour operator brands and 1,800 travel agencies in Europe, six airlines with more than 130 medium and long-haul aircraft, more than 300 Group-owned hotels and resorts with premium brands such as RIU and Robinson. With cruise ships ranging from the MS Europa and MS Europa 2 luxury class vessels to the “Mein Schiff” fleet of TUI Cruises and the vessels of Thomson Cruises in the UK, TUI is also strongly positioned in the growing cruise sector.
Global responsibility for sustainable economic, ecological and social activity is a key feature of our corporate culture. TUI has joined the UN Global Compact and, as the only tourism group, it is listed in the renowned Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) Europe.
