TUI Gets Upbeat as Summer Bookings Accrue

German travel group TUI confirmed a bright outlook for its full financial year Thursday as summer bookings lifted the mood following a net loss in the first half.

TUI, whose business year runs from Oct to Sept, reported a net profit of €47.7 million (RM240 million) between April and June, a fall of some 45 percent compared with the same period last year.

Meanwhile, operating, or underlying profit grew 37.2 percent to €221.6 million on an adjusted basis, on the back of revenues up 12.6 percent at almost 4.8 billion.

"These good developments show our successful transformation and focusing on hotels and cruises, we've become a much less seasonal business," chief executive Fritz Joussen said in a statement.

TUI reported its first-ever operating profit over the first nine months alone, at slightly more than €7.0 million.

The group has been selling off activities as it concentrates on its core business, shedding specialist travel provider Travelopia in the third quarter and its remaining stake in shipping firm Hapag-Lloyd in July.

The group said its wide range of destinations had helped it weather falling demand for trips to regions struck by unrest, including Turkey and North Africa – with higher interest in Spain, Greece and Italy and long-haul options like the Caribbean helping balance out the effect.

Looking at the summer, which was not in the reporting period, TUI said it had 4.0 percent more guests and bookings 8.0 percent higher in value compared with last year.

For the full year, the group confirmed its objectives of an increase in operating profit of at least 10 percent, with revenues growing at least 3.0 percent.