Feedback from independent travel agents has led to more regional flights in Tui’s new “aggressively-priced” winter 2025 programme, according to commercial director Phil Iveson.
Winter brochures have arrived in travel agencies with agents able to create bespoke versions for customers to download, view online, email, print, and have delivered to their homes for free.
The brochures can also be personalised with the customer’s name on the front and in future are set to also feature the travel agency’s details.
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Speaking at the launch, Iveson said: “One of the nice things we have done this year is to get feedback from agents and introduced regional long-haul flights, such as Cancun from Cardiff and Newcastle. This is off the back of feedback we have had from agents.”
The new programme covers more than 41 destinations from 22 regional airports, including a new fortnightly service from Cardiff to Cancun and an additional flight to the Mexican resort from Newcastle on selected dates in March and April 2026.
It follows a major shift in Tui’s approach to third-party retailers last year when it began to court the trade with improved commercial deals.
Iveson said the operator was already enjoying strong backing as a result from independent agents.
“We have had some really good support from the trade. It is really important to us; it’s reaching customers we would not have been able to reach,” he said, adding: “Many customers want to book through their local travel agent and we want these agents to be able to access our exclusive product, such Holiday Village and Sensatori.”
Iveson said the new winter programme was particularly aggressive on price and included its biggest range of free child places across the entire season to attract a larger share of families, in particularly those with younger children that can travel outside of school holidays.
He said: “We have tried to make our prices as competitive as we can right across the season, not just in high season at Christmas and half term. There are some keen prices for people that book early, free child places, low deposits and a longer window in which to pay.
“We are going out with a much bigger programme, with availability until the end of April [2026] including Easter. We have focused on more free child places; not just the number, we have gone out with some more aggressive prices for families.
“We understand some customers are on tighter budgets and we have tried to look at where we can give sharper prices, which can also help us fill load factors.”
The launch for next winter comes as the market continues to enjoy a strong lates market for this summer.
Iveson reported “a big bounce” in bookings since England’s defeat in the Euros last weekend, with agents reporting widespread availability still for this summer.
“We have just seen a big upturn since the end of the Euros,” said Iveson, but urged agents to tell clients not to hold off much longer to book a summer break.
“For customers there are still some great prices out there and free child places to be had [but] I would encourage people to book early, particularly as we move into August.”