Tui is to expand its presence in Greece by acquiring land to build its third Robinson Club in the country.
Plans for the development on Crete came as the Thomson and First Choice parent reported a ten per cent rise in holidaymakers to Greece this summer to 2.5 million.
The country is now the second most important destination for the Tui Group behind Spain.
Chairman, Fritz Joussen, said after a meeting with prime minister Alexis Tsipras in Athens: “Greece is one of the winners of the 2017 summer season. The tourism sector is one of the most important employers for the country.
“Tui continues to be oriented on growth. We are investing worldwide in hotels, resorts and our cruise lines Hapag Lloyd Cruises, Tui Cruises and Thomson Cruises.
“The growth in hotels and cruises is also planned to happen in Greece. For this purpose, we require a good infrastructure, hotels in locations close to the sea and well-qualified employees.
“The next project is the opening of the third Robinson Club in Greece. Tui has purchased a plot of land on Crete for that purpose.”
The group operates 32 of its own hotels in the Greek holiday areas. Athens is also the location of Tui Destination Services for the eastern Mediterranean region.
The company employs around 1,300 people in Greece and plans to expand the number of Greek employees.
Crete is planned to be developed as a showcase for sustainable catering on holiday. Tui said an opening date for the new resort was yet to be confirmed.
The international Tui Care Foundation is supporting a project on the island which brings together the economic sectors of tourism, agriculture and wine-growing.
Under the name “Tui Cares for Crete”, the foundation is networking local producers with hoteliers and the tourism sector to help more local products find their way into holiday resorts.
The project was launched together with Greek tourism minister, Elena Kountoura, and the governor of Crete. Two hundred local companies, olive-growers and winemakers in Crete are participating in the project.