Tui in the Netherlands has taken the first step towards working under a single unified umbrella brand.
The main Arke tour operating name in the Netherlands disappeared overnight, replaced by the Tui brand.
The group confirmed that all its major European tour operator brands will be rebranded with the Tui master brand by 2017.
The rebranding of the Dutch subsidiary Arke marks the start of this process, with all 130 travel agencies rebranded and a new Tui website launched at tui.nl.
The Tui master brand will replace the large tour operator brands, starting in the Netherlands, with France to follow later this year, then Belgium, the Nordics region and the UK in the next two years.
The campaign will also provide a new design for all travel agencies and Tui Airlines aircraft with the master brand. Airports at key holiday destinations will also use a unified branding.
The move was described as putting Tui Group on its way towards becoming a “globally consistent brand”.
Group chief marketing officer, Erik Friemuth, said: “Creating an internationally unified branding will enable us to offer our customers a consistent holiday experience.
“A unified global brand will also significantly enhance our competitiveness in the important online segment and help us modernise our brand.
“Our Dutch colleagues have implemented the rebranding campaign within a very short period of time, and we are very proud of what they have achieved. They will now be the blueprint for the other European markets.“
Tui confirmed to Travel Weekly in June that the Thomson name in the UK will be replaced with the Tui ‘powerbrand’ in three years at the latest, although First Choice would be retained.
Friemuth said at the time: “We’ll migrate Thomson [to the Tui brand].
“It’s too early to talk about the execution of this in the UK. We’re at the planning stage; nothing has been decided yet.
“We’ll migrate [to the Tui brand] in the Netherlands [from October] and introduce it in France. Belgium will be next year, then the Nordics.”