TUI launches winter 2021/22 and summer 2022 programmes from Exeter Airport

TUI UK has launched winter 2021 and 2022 holidays from Exeter and is set to put summer 2022 holidays on sale from 5th November, with thousands of free kids’ places, low deposits from £75 per person and £0 deposit on direct debit bookings made online on offer.

This comes as 86% of customers surveyed in September said they expect to have gone on holiday again by next summer - reinforcing the growing appetite for future travel post Covid-19.

With on-going travel corridor uncertainty for some regular favourites this winter, those craving sunshine during the coldest months have already booked for next winter, with strong demand in particular for Lanzarote, Tenerife and Gran Canaria so far from the five different destinations on sale from Exeter Airport. In fact, winter 2021 and 2022 will see a strong Canary Islands programme continue, with five flights there each week.

With 57% of customers saying they expect to book a Mediterranean beach holiday for 2021, TUI anticipates greater demand for summer 2022 as people want to ‘make up’ for not being able to go away this year. So far, Greece is the standout destination of choice based on current bookings for next summer, with Turkey and Egypt also popular, and patterns indicate these trends could continue into 2022.

TUI’s summer 2022 programme will see 12 destinations on offer, with the reintroduction of flights to customer favourite, Ibiza, from Exeter Airport, as well as six other flights to the Balearic Islands each week.

TUI is seeing an upward trend in 4 and 5-star all-inclusive hotel bookings for next summer, with over 40% of customers surveyed expressing this preference. This includes hotels which offer the ‘best of both worlds’ with villas or room options with private pools and accommodation as families in particular seek to continue to feel safe in their ‘bubble’. TUI will be offering 233 different options in 155 hotels for this growing category in summer 2021 and expects this trend to continue for summer 2022.

In the same vein, 18% of customers surveyed said they would look to book a villa holiday with car hire included, making social distancing easier on holiday. TUI is offering 150 villas with flights and car hire included for summer 2021 and summer 2022 in Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, mainland Spain, Portugal, Italy and Florida. 

Richard Sofer, Commercial & Business Development Director at TUI said: “Our latest customer survey and booking patterns for next summer indicate that the great British public are looking forward to future holidays even more so as they may have been unable to take one this year. This is why we have launched our future holiday programmes through to the end of October 2022, so that families and couples alike can plan ahead to next year and beyond to make informed choices about what will make their perfect holiday from the wide range we have on offer.”

Matt Roach, Managing Director of Exeter Airport said: “The launch of TUI’s winter 2021 and summer 2022 programmes gives passengers the opportunity to book with confidence and look forward to a well-deserved break. 12 destinations including the return of Ibiza in summer 2022 is fantastic news for our airport and our region, with air travel and international connectivity critical to both. We welcome TUI’s announcement and look forward to seeing a return to passenger growth, with a clear demand for travel post-COVID-19, and new and returning routes offering passengers a great choice of destinations.”