REG-TUI AG TUI AG: Q4 Pre-Close Trading Update
19/09/2023 07:15
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TUI AG (TUI)
TUI AG: Q4 Pre-Close Trading Update
19-Sep-2023 / 08:00 CET/CEST
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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19 September 2023
TUI GROUP
Q4 Pre-Close Trading Update
Prior to entering its close period ahead of reporting its full year
results for the twelve months ending 30 September 2023 on 6 December, TUI
Group publishes the following trading update.
Confirmation of expectations for a strong Summer 2023 with bookings in
final month of season well ahead of Summer 2022. We are pleased to see the
positive momentum continuing into Winter 2023/24 supported by higher
prices. TUI is well positioned to achieve the results target for FY 2023
• Current booking trends underlining the strong consumer demand in the
current macro-economic environment and the popularity of our product
offering
Summer 2023
• Strong pipeline of 13.7m1 bookings for the Summer 2023 season, a +5%
increase against prior season and close to pre-pandemic levels at 96%
• 1.1m additional bookings taken since our Q3 2023 update with demand in
the final month of season well ahead of Summer 2022 at +8%
• Season extension in particular in Greece and Turkey to accommodate
increased demand
• ASP for Summer 2023 continues to be well ahead at +8% versus prior
season and +27% versus Summer 2019, slightly ahead of the levels
reported at Q3
Winter 2023/24
• Positive momentum continuing into Winter 2023/24 with an expanded
programme and overall bookings up +15% against Winter 2022/23.
Promising booking situation across all key source markets supported by
higher prices +4% versus prior season. We are hedged for the coming
Winter and Summer season in line with our expectations
• UK, as usual, with 38% of the season sold, is the most advanced booked
on a larger programme. Bookings are at +8% and ASP +3% against Winter
2022/23
• Holiday Experiences trading remains well on track to deliver in line
with expectations both for Summer 2023 and Winter 2023/24
Expectations
• TUI reconfirms expectations to increase underlying EBIT2 significantly
for both Q4 2023 and also for FY 2023 against FY 2022
TUI Group
• Q4 underlying EBIT FY 20232 expected to increase significantly against
prior year – Hotels & Resorts anticipated to be close to an already
strong prior year. Both Cruises and Markets & Airlines set to achieve
a significantly improved result with a strong increase in results
expected for TUI Musement
• FY 2023 Assumption^2 _ we reconfirm our expectations to increase
underlying EBIT significantly for FY 2023
• Mid-term ambitions – we are focused on operational excellence and
execution of our strategy. We have a clear strategy to accelerate
profitable growth with new customer segments and more product sales.
Our mid-term 2025/26 ambitions are for underlying EBIT to
significantly build on €1.2bn3. We have a target to return to a gross
leverage ratio4 of well below 3.0x and aim to return to a credit
rating in line with the pre-pandemic rating of BB / Ba territory
• We will issue the TUI Group Full Year results on Wednesday 6 December
2023 and hold a presentation for investors and analysts in London on
the same day. Further details will follow
1 Bookings up to 10 September 2023 and relate to all customers whether
risk or non-risk
2 Based on constant currency
3 FY 2019 underlying EBIT of €893m including €293m Boeing MAX cost impact
4 Defined as gross debt (financial liabilities incl. lease liabilities &
net pension obligations) divided by underlying EBITDA
Chief Executive Officer of TUI Group, Sebastian Ebel, commented:
“We are seeing a strong close to the Summer season and we are on course to
achieve results in line with expectations. This is particularly evident in
our main markets Germany where bookings year-on-year are +10% higher and
UK where bookings are in line with an already strong prior year Summer
season and +4% ahead of pre-pandemic levels. Indeed, had it not been for
the various events during the last few months which were outside of our
control, not least the wildfires on Rhodes, we would have performed ahead
of expectations. TUI is well positioned as we head into the new financial
year. The positive trading momentum is continuing, and I am very
optimistic for the coming Winter and Summer seasons. For Winter 2023/24,
we are still at an early booking stage, but the increase of +15% in
bookings compared to the previous year, is a very encouraging signal. We
have a clear strategy for the coming years introducing new products,
growing our customer base and developing our market share, supported by
the TUI customer ecosystem. We will update the market on our latest
strategic initiatives and progress made when we announce our full year
results in December.”
Current Trading1 – Markets & Airlines
We have a strong pipeline of 13.7m bookings for Summer 2023 which is an
increase of 1.1m since our Q3 Update on 9 August 2023. As a result
bookings for Summer 2023 at +5% are well ahead of Summer 2022 and close to
pre-pandemic levels at 96%. The overall Summer 2023 programme is now 95%
sold, in line with prior season and pre-pandemic levels. ASP continues to
hold up strongly across our markets at +8% versus Summer 2022 and +27%
versus Summer 2019, slightly ahead of the levels published at our Q3
Update. In UK cumulative volumes are in line with Summer 2022 and 4% ahead
of Summer 2019. In our key Continental European markets, bookings for
Germany are up +10% against the prior Summer season and -3% against
pre-pandemic levels. Similarly, in the Netherlands, bookings are up +4%
against Summer 2022 and -3% against Summer 2019. Our traditional short-
and medium-haul offering to Greece, Turkey, the Canaries, and the
Balearics, continue to prove popular with our customers, with all key
destinations benefiting from higher demand against Summer 2022. We have
seen strong demand in the final weeks of the summer season which
traditionally runs to the end of October. As a consequence, we recently
announced the extension of the season into November in particular to
Turkey and Greece, to cover demand outside the traditional Summer season.
It again highlights the benefit of our integrated business model and our
ability to react quickly to changes in demand.
We are pleased to see the positive Summer booking momentum continuing into
Winter 2023/24. Supported by the current booking trends and strong
customer demand, we have expanded our Winter programme by 11% against
Winter 2022/23. This is in particular the case in the UK and is enhanced
by our increased dynamic product offering, providing more flexibility and
choice for our customers. As usual, sales for Winter 2023/24, are still at
an early stage at 29% sold, which is slightly ahead of the Winter 2022/23
position. To date 1.5m bookings have been taken, significantly up +15%
against the prior Winter season and well ahead of the capacity targets for
the full season. ASP continues to be higher across our key markets and up
+4% overall against Winter 2022/23, reflecting the popularity of our
products. FY 2024 Q1 bookings, which represent a mix of late Summer and
early Winter, are 57% sold, +1% higher than Winter 2022/23. Short- and
medium haul destinations including the Canaries, Egypt and Cape Verde are
set to form a key part of the upcoming Winter programme with Mexico,
Thailand and the Dominican Republic expected to be significant long-haul
destinations. UK is traditionally our most advanced booked market with 38%
of the season sold to date. In UK volumes are +8% overall and +15% in the
last four weeks against Winter 2022/23 underlining the positive momentum
which we are seeing across our key markets. This is supported by higher
ASPs up +3% versus Winter 2022/23.
Current Trading – Holiday Experiences
In Hotels & Resorts our diversified portfolio of well recognised brands
including Riu, Robinson, TUI Blue and
TUI Magic Life continues to deliver. Q4 trading2 remains well on track to
be in line with expectations. Overall, the number of available bed nights3
for Q4 year-on-year is up +3% with booked occupancy4 in line year-on-year.
Average daily rates are +5% above Q4 2022 supported in particular by
strong demand for Riu. Turkey, the Caribbean, the Balearics, Greece, the
Canaries and Cape Verde are proving well sought after destinations again.
For Winter 2023/24 we expect the segment to benefit from the expansion of
our tour operator offering for the season. The number of available bed
nights for H1 2023/24 is up +6% against H1 2022/23. Average daily rates
are currently +4% and occupancy is up +3%pts for H1 2023/24 year-on-year
highlighting the good demand for our Winter hotel offering.
Our Cruises segment is set to operate a full fleet of 16 ships as we head
into the Winter 2023/24 season. Mein Schiff, with its fleet of six ships
will offer itineraries to the Canaries, the Orient, the Caribbean, Central
America, Asia and Northern Europe. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ fleet of five
ships will focus on routes to the Americas, Caribbean and Asia with
standout expeditions including the semi-circumnavigation of Antarctica.
Marella, with its fleet of five ships, will operate itineraries to the
Canaries and the Caribbean with Asia also reintroduced for the upcoming
Winter season. The poorer summer weather in the source markets has boosted
bookings and demand in autumn at higher rates. The segment continues its
strong post-pandemic recovery. As a consequence, occupancy rates5 are
+9%pts higher and average daily rates are up +11% year-on-year and
returning to pre-pandemic levels. Q4 available passenger cruise days6 are
in line with Q4 2022. The winter programme has been expanded year-on-year
with available passenger cruise days up +2% for H1 2023/24. Occupancy
rates are +15%pts higher and average daily rates are up +5% for H1 2023/24
against H1 2022/23, underlining the positive start to the winter season.
Guest satisfaction is again high across our Cruises brands and exceeding
2019 levels. Recently Mein Schiff was again voted best cruise brand in a
survey by the German travel magazines FVW and Travel Talk.
TUI Musement our tours and activities business, continues its expansion
with a focus on its B2C offering driving profitable growth of Experiences
sales directly to the customer and through B2B, as well as by growing the
differentiated own product portfolio globally. Sales to date for our
Experiences business, providing excursions, activities and tickets, are
+11% higher for Q4 against Q4 2022. The transfer business, providing
support to our guests in their destination, is expected to develop in line
with our Markets & Airlines capacity assumptions. The winter season has
started positively but is still at a very early stage.
1 Bookings up to 10 September 2023 and relate to all customers whether
risk or non-risk
2 2023 trading data as of 10 September 2023 excluding Blue Diamond
3 Number of hotel days open multiplied by beds available in the hotel
(Group owned and leased hotels)
4 Occupied beds divided by available beds (Group owned and lease hotels)
5 Achieved passenger cruise days divided by available passenger cruise
days
6 Number of operating days multiplied by berths available on the operated
ships
Analyst & Investor Enquiries
Nicola Gehrt, Group Director Investor Tel: +49 (0) 511 566 1435
Relations
Adrian Bell, Senior Investor Relations Manager Tel: +49 (0) 511 566 2332
James Trimble, Investor Relations Manager Tel: +44 (0) 1582 315 293
Stefan Keese, Investor Relations Manager Tel: +49 (0) 511 566 1387
Anika Heske, Junior Investor Relations Manager
Tel: +49 (0) 511 566 1425
Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements
The present announcement contains various statements relating to TUI
Group's and TUI AG's future development. These statements are based on
assumptions and estimates. Although we are convinced that these
forward-looking statements are realistic, they are not guarantees of
future performance since our assumptions involve risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
anticipated. Such factors include market fluctuations, the development of
world market prices for commodities and exchange rates or fundamental
changes in the economic or political environment. TUI does not intend to
and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking
statements in order to reflect events or developments after the date of
this announcement.
Appendix:
Markets & Airlines Trading
Summer 20231
Variance in % versus 2022 2019
Summer 2023 Summer 2023
Bookings +5 -4
ASP +8 +27
Winter 2023/241
Variance in % versus 2022/23
Winter 2023/24
Bookings +15
ASP +4
1 Bookings up to 10 September 2023 relate to all customers whether risk or
non-risk
Holiday Experiences
Q4 FY 2023 Trading
July – September 20231
Variance in % versus July – September 2022
Hotels & Resorts2
Available bed nights3 +3
Occupancy %4 +0% points
Average daily rate +5
Cruises
Available passenger cruise days5 +0
Occupancy %6 +9% points
Average daily rate +11
TUI Musement
Experiences sold +11
Transfers In-line with Markets & Airlines
H1 FY 2024 Trading
October 2023 – March 20241
Variance in % versus October 2022 – March 2023
Hotels & Resorts2
Available bed nights3 +6
Occupancy %4 +3% points
Average daily rate +4
Cruises
Available passenger cruise days5 +2
Occupancy %6 +15% points
Average daily rate +5
TUI Musement
Experiences sold n.m.
Transfers In line with Markets & Airlines
1 Trading data as of 10 September 2023
2 2023 trading data as of 10 September 2023 excluding Blue Diamond
3 Number of hotel days open multiplied by beds available in the hotel
(Group owned and leased hotels)
4 Occupied beds divided by available beds (Group owned and lease hotels)
5 Number of operating days multiplied by berths available on the operated
ships
6 Achieved passenger cruise days divided by available passenger cruise
days
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Dissemination of a Regulatory Announcement, transmitted by EQS Group.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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ISIN: DE000TUAG505
Category Code: TST
TIDM: TUI
LEI Code: 529900SL2WSPV293B552
OAM Categories: 3.1. Additional regulated information required to be
disclosed under the laws of a Member State
Sequence No.: 272206
EQS News ID: 1728745
End of Announcement EQS News Service
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