TL;DR
- TUI won Gold in four major categories at the British Travel Awards 2025: Family Holidays, All-Inclusive, Summer Sun, and Winter Sun
- Over 420,000 UK consumers voted, making this the largest public endorsement of travel providers in the country
- TUI’s sensory rooms at TUI BLUE hotels are opening doors for neurodivergent families who previously found holidays too overwhelming
- 75% of family bookings with TUI are now all-inclusive, and 40% of summer 2026 is already booked by families
- Regional departures from 22 UK airports make TUI packages more convenient for clients outside London
The British Travel Awards wrapped up their ceremony at Grosvenor House on Park Lane last week, and TUI walked away with Gold in the categories that matter most to UK holidaymakers: Family Holidays, All-Inclusive, Summer Sun, and Winter Sun.
These awards are consumer-voted. Over 420,000 people cast 1.6 million votes across categories, which makes this the UK’s largest public endorsement of travel providers. When families, couples, and solo travellers all choose the same name across four major categories, it tells us something useful about where trust sits right now.
TUI also picked up Gold for Weddings and Honeymoons, Ski/Winter Sports Holidays (Crystal Ski), and River Cruise Holidays, plus Silver for Best Cruise Holidays (Marella Cruises) and Best National Travel Retailer.
The Numbers Worth Knowing
TUI’s financial year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025) delivered their strongest results on record:
- 34.7 million guests travelled with TUI, up 5% from 33 million the previous year
- Revenue reached €24.2 billion
- Their hotel portfolio grew to 463 properties worldwide, with another 70 in development
For UK bookings specifically, TUI reported summer 2025 bookings up 1%, with winter 2025/26 tracking in line with the previous year.
What Families Are Booking Right Now
TUI’s booking data for summer 2026 shows some clear patterns that are useful when talking to clients:
- 75% of family bookings are all-inclusive
- 40% of summer 2026 bookings have already come from families
- 72% of family bookings are for stays of five nights or longer
- 65% of families actively look for free kids’ places
Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Spain, and Croatia continue to lead as the top family destinations.
TUI has responded by launching their biggest-ever programme of free kids’ places across winter and summer seasons. For families watching their budgets, this kind of transparency on costs is often what gets a booking over the line.
What’s Worth Knowing: Accessible Holidays and Sensory Rooms
TUI won Accessible Holidays Provider of the Year at the TTG Travel Industry Awards 2025, and this is worth understanding in detail.
The accessible travel market is valued at $80.7 billion globally in 2025, projected to reach $126.2 billion by 2031. In the UK alone, 724,000 inbound trips in 2023 were taken by travellers with health conditions or impairments. These guests tend to travel with companions and often spend more than average.
TUI launched dedicated sensory rooms at TUI BLUE hotels this year. These are purposefully designed spaces with soft lighting, interactive sensory equipment, and calm zones for neurodivergent guests and their families.
Currently open:
- TUI BLUE Nausicaa Beach, Cyprus (opened 15 April 2025)
- TUI BLUE Aura, Ibiza (opened 1 May 2025)
Opening summer 2026:
- TUI BLUE Tropical, Turkey
- TUI BLUE Palm Garden, Turkey
- TUI BLUE Aeneas Resort, Cyprus
Beyond the rooms themselves, TUI has trained front-of-house staff in neurodiversity awareness. They’ve introduced ‘Now and Next’ boards in kids’ clubs so children understand what’s happening in each session. Communication cards help children express wants and needs. Sensory bags filled with tactile, visual, and auditory items are available to borrow.
TUI has shared feedback from families who say the sensory rooms provide a calm reset space after busy days, helping neurodivergent guests regulate when things get overwhelming.
For agents working with families where a child or adult has autism, ADHD, sensory processing differences, or other neurodiverse conditions, this removes a significant barrier. Many families simply don’t holiday abroad because they worry about meltdowns, overstimulation, or lack of understanding from staff. TUI’s programme addresses those concerns directly.
The All-Inclusive Picture
All-inclusive won Gold for good reason. Here’s what’s driving the demand:
Budget certainty matters more than ever. Families want to know exactly what they’re spending before they go, rather than watching costs add up on-site.
Reduced planning load appeals to busy parents. When food, drinks, activities, and kids’ clubs are all included, there’s less to organise and fewer decisions to make on holiday.
Child-friendly without the negotiations. Kids can eat when hungry, snack freely, and parents avoid constant conversations about what’s allowed.
TUI’s all-inclusive portfolio covers family-focused resorts like Holiday Village Red Sea in Egypt through to adults-only properties like RIU Palace Boavista in Cape Verde, which means there’s something for different client types within the same trusted brand.
Regional Departures: The Convenience Factor
TUI flies from 22 UK airports. For families with young children, avoiding a long drive or train journey to London airports makes the holiday start smoother.
Key regional hubs include Manchester (serving Northern England and Wales), Birmingham (the Midlands), Glasgow and Edinburgh (Scotland), Newcastle (Northeast England), and Cardiff, which has added a new fortnightly service to Cancun for winter 2025/26.
When quoting TUI packages, checking regional departure options can make a real difference. A family in Leeds will often prefer Manchester over Gatwick, even at a slight premium. The convenience factor matters.
What to Sell Right Now
Summer 2026 family packages with free kids’ places: Families are already booking, and free kids’ places are capacity-controlled. Best destinations include Greece (Crete, Corfu, Rhodes), Spain (Mallorca, Costa Blanca), and Turkey (Antalya, Bodrum).
Accessible holidays at TUI BLUE hotels: Sensory rooms are new for 2025, and awareness is still building. TUI BLUE Nausicaa Beach in Cyprus and TUI BLUE Aura in Ibiza are the current options.
Winter sun escapes for January to March 2026: January’s booking window is the biggest sales period for winter sun. Canary Islands, Cape Verde, and Egypt are leading destinations.
Crystal Ski winter sports holidays: TUI’s Crystal Ski won Gold, and February half-term is typically a high-demand period. French Alps and Austria are popular choices.
Weddings and honeymoons: TUI’s Gold win validates their wedding product. RIU Hotels in Mexico and the Caribbean, plus TUI SENSIMAR adults-only resorts, are strong options.
Agent Advantage Insight
TUI’s consumer-voted Gold awards across family, all-inclusive, summer sun, and winter sun give you third-party validation that’s hard to argue with. When a client hesitates, you’re backed by 420,000 UK travellers who voted with their trust. These wins can support proposals, social posts, and client conversations.
