As TUI continues its global expansion, the strategic importance of its hotel portfolio took centre stage at TUI’s Policy Lounge event in Brussels.
The event gathered stakeholders from the Brussels tourism and transport community for an interactive exchange with Louise Bates, Director of Brands and Products at TUI Hotels and Resorts. Moderated by Dr. Ralf Pastleitner, Head of the TUI Group Corporate Office EU, the discussion explored how TUI’s more than 450 hotels create sustainable economic activity across European and global destinations.
Competitiveness and European frameworks
The Policy Lounge addressed Europe’s tourism competitiveness and the framework conditions necessary to scale up high-quality hotel projects. Participants discussed the impact of EU and national regulations on investment decisions, noting that infrastructure gaps in energy, mobility, and connectivity can act as critical bottlenecks. The message to policymakers was clear: Europe's fragmented frameworks for funding and sustainable energy must be aligned and strengthened to unlock the investment that the sector's sustainable transformation requires.
The importance of organised tourism for local value creation
Addressing contemporary debates around tourism flows, the session highlighted the benefits of organised tourism models, rather than unregulated forms such as short-term rentals. Organised tourism provides a more structured and predictable approach to managing visitor flows, supporting local employment, and building resilient supply chains through partnerships with local suppliers. TUI’s expansion relies on these local partnerships, operating hotels through joint ventures, management, or franchise agreements to ensure that communities directly benefit from tourism operations.
“Our ambition is to grow a global hotel portfolio from a strong European base. Every hotel represents a long-term investment in its destination, creating local jobs, strengthening regional supply chains and delivering memorable holiday experiences,” said Louise Bates.
Driving the green transition
Sustainability remains at the core of this expansion strategy, with TUI Hotels & Resorts committing to reduce its absolute CO2e emissions by 46.2% by 2030 compared to baseline year 2019. To operationalise this goal, TUI has developed comprehensive Green Building Guidelines covering all areas relevant to green building policies and procedures. These guidelines are also made publicly available to support the wider hospitality industry. Practical implementation was illustrated through examples like the TUI BLUE Montafon in Austria, which utilises renewable electricity, heating from a local biomass plant, and advanced thermal external wall insulation to lower its operational Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.
Innovation and guest experience
The TUI Policy Lounge concluded with a look at how technology is shaping the future of hospitality. Leveraging AI and data insights allows for highly personalised services and the optimisation of resource management, such as reducing food waste. Furthermore, AI tools automate routine tasks for hotel teams, improving operational efficiency while simultaneously strengthening the human touch that remains central to the guest experience.
“Technology helps us deliver better holidays – from reducing food waste and improving operational efficiency to creating more personalised guest experiences. But hospitality will always remain a people business, and innovation should give our teams more time to focus on what matters most: our guests,” concluded Louise Bates.
