Skift Take
Connecting up such a diverse, offline industry like tours and activities is not going to be easy, but the reward for a company like TUI is massive.
TUI Group will open up its tours and activities platforms to third-party providers after it completes the purchase of Hotelbeds’ destination management unit.
The move will make Hanover-Germany-based TUI an even bigger player in the fast-growing sector as it already develops and arranges around 4.5 million excursions per year.
“We will open the platforms for third party excursions and activities so if you, for example run a Segway tour provider and you want to connect to our customers and sell your excursions you will be able on a fully digital basis connect to our platform and you will be available when the customers come in [to] the destination,” CEO Fritz Joussen said on a media conference call after the company’s second-quarter results.
Earlier this year TUI decided to move Destination Experiences (formerly Destination Services) into