TUI Germany: Greek islands top preferences

On May 14, the first flight of TUI Germany to Heraklion will take off from Hannover. Germany’s largest travel agent is in close coordination with Greece, Spain, and Cyprus and is urging Germans to book their holidays early, as once the borders open, popular hotels will close quickly.

The Greek islands, mainly Crete, Rhodes, and Kos are at the top of the preferences and flights will take place after the official start of the tourist season in Greece from the airports of Hannover, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Cologne, and Frankfurt to Crete, Rhodes, Kos, Corfu, and Western Peloponnese.

TUI Germany CEO, Marek Andyszak, stated that he is “in constant communication with the partner hoteliers and the governments of the countries that have intensively prepared for the arrivals of foreign visitors.” He added that the well-known travel agency will provide tests to its hotel guests before they leave for their return.

Travel safely

Mr. Andyszak stressed that travel to Europe will be possible in the summer of 2021, safely and responsibly. With vaccinations continuing throughout June, priority vaccination of tourism workers at holiday resorts, and a green digital passport, the foundations have been laid for a good holiday season, he added.

Although many travelers are reluctant to book their summer vacation so early, HomeToGo data show that the average time between booking and arrival has been reduced from 108 to 74 days, compared to the pre-pandemic period.

Thomas Bareiß, the Federal Government’s representative for tourism, is also trying to alleviate their concerns. Germany expects to deliver almost 80 million doses of vaccine by the end of June and is constantly improving its testing strategy. “That is why I am convinced that travel to Germany and Europe will become easier and safer again,” Bareiß told Die Welt. “People finally want to get out.”