Summer 2019: FTI adds new destinations to the tourist map

On October 22, 2018, the FTI GROUP management in El Gouna presented the new summer programme and the preliminary figures for the 2017/18 fiscal year.

The fourth largest tour operator in Europe is opening up a new world of travel for its guests with the 2019 summer programme: The FTI GROUP is creating new holiday dreams in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and the Caribbean, with destinations that have so far been little known or barely accessible to the German-speaking market. In addition to its new destinations, the organiser is paying particular attention to the clear trend towards individualised package tours in its new programme: “Now more than ever, holidaymakers want to be as individual and flexible as possible when travelling, discover new things and want experiences such as themed tours and to meet the locals,” emphasises Dietmar Gunz, Group Managing Director at FTI. “This desire for diversity and maximum flexibility in travel options and at the same time security from the organiser is reflected in all areas of our new portfolio. We are thus breaking with the once so rigid concept of package tours and are actively shaping the new type of package holiday with our multi-faceted offers.”
 

16 percent growth in turnover and guests

The Group presented its preliminary figures for the 2017/18 financial year at the presentation of the programme: “This financial year has brought us a high booking level with an increase of around 16 percent in both turnover and customer numbers. Both stationary sales and online sales grew at double-digit rates compared to the previous year,” continued Gunz. From 1 November 2017 to the end of October 2018, the FTI GROUP is expected to achieve consolidated total sales of EUR 3.6 billion. The current figures include the turnover of all subsidiaries of the Group. The winning destinations were Egypt and Turkey on the short- and medium-haul routes, and South America and Thailand on the long-haul routes. The tour operator is also extremely satisfied with the advance bookings for the summer of 2019. “Long-term planning of the holiday is ‘in’ again”, explains Ralph Schiller, Group Managing Director at FTI.

“Not only for the coming winter 2018/19, but also for the summer season 2019 we already have a very good, double-digit percentage sales increase”, the managing director is pleased to report. And the customers also have reason to rejoice: Travel prices for the 2019 summer season remain stable for the most part.
 

From Marsa Matruh to Alexandria: Egyptian Mediterranean coast in the programme for the first time

FTI is presenting a premiere in the land of the pharaohs: this summer, the programme will include the north coast of Egypt for the first time. On the 300-km-long coast from Marsa Matruh to Alexandria, previously undiscovered, fabulous bathing hotspots and an exclusive hotel portfolio await holidaymakers. But there are also innovations in the well-known tourist regions: FTI is planning two daily connections to Luxor as well as three daily flights to Cairo – all directly from El Gouna. Guests therefore have a multitude of possibilities to individually customise their holiday in Egypt. Whether excursions, overnight tours or a short cruise on the Nile, everything is possible.
 

Hotspot for insiders: Expansion of the holiday region around Alaçati on the Turkish Aegean Sea

For 2019, FTI is also adding destinations in Turkey that are still almost unknown to the German-speaking market. For example, the charming little town of Alaçati on the Çeşme peninsula, known for its original architecture, white sandy beaches and crystal-clear water, but also for its high-class restaurants, bars and small boutiques. The Design Plus Seya Beach Hotel, newly added to the range in 2018, offers extravagant design, luxurious comfort and a spectacular view of the Aegean Sea, a surfers’ hotspot. Also new in the FTI catalogue: the neighbouring Alaçati Beach Resort. It is an impressive, extremely spacious complex, with only 45 rooms, as well as its own open-air stage for thousands of spectators. The high-end range is further complemented by the Hotel The S. The modern complex, newly built in 2017, is located near the port of Alaçati with the ancient bazaar and the popular surfer beach. Flights will now be available to both the Aegean and Riviera coasts.
 

Rediscover the Caribbean: New FTI connections to Santa Clara in Cuba

In order to make the journey to the island paradise of Cayo Santa Maria as convenient as possible, a plane will take off once a week from Munich and Düsseldorf to the Caribbean starting in mid-March. Passengers can reach Cayo Santa Maria from the Santa Clara destination airport after a transfer time of just under two hours. At the Eldorado beach itself, guests can choose from a large selection of high-quality, new or newly renovated accommodations from brands such as Angsana, Iberostar, Melia or Paradisus as well as a LABRANDA hotel. Beside restful days at fabulous beaches, the region itself is also an ideal base for round trips and excursions up into the lively culture in Cuba’s authentic north.

Africa for beginners: With non-stop flights to Gambia

FTI enables holidaymakers to travel to the smallest country in Africa on a non-stop flight. With Corendon Airlines Europe, the operator will also fly from Germany as of 15 April: A Boeing 737 MAX 8 will take guests from Munich, Leipzig, Frankfurt and Düsseldorf to the bathing paradise in less than seven hours. Since 22 October 2018, the same partner has offered flights directly to the capital Banjul from the Dutch airports of Amsterdam and Maastricht, which are close to the border. Over 25 hotels and resorts on the Atlantic beach await those seeking relaxation. Guests who want to see the sights in addition to the bathing and wellness facilities can do so on excursions inland. And encounters with the locals are at the top of the list. For example, in the traditional cooking class in Serrekunda.

Greece: More flights, more hotels and for the first time Kefalonia in the programme

In order to continue the booking success of the year 2017/18 into the new season, FTI is expanding its flight programme – to popular classics such as Crete, but also to the smaller islands in particular. FTI will be flying from seven German airports to Corfu from mid-April. There are connections from Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Leipzig and Berlin. The range of hotels included will also be refined and expanded: Besides LABRANDA Sandy Beach on Corfu, the selection of resorts on Crete and Kos is also growing. In addition, the organiser Kefalonia has added a completely new destination with a small but fine selection of three- and four-star hotels to its portfolio.
 

New brands, new hotels: Expanded offer with MP hotels

With the LABRANDA Pearl Resort in Cyprus, MP Hotels is expanding its portfolio to a total of 70 hotels in 12 countries. The 216-room complex in Ayia Napa in the east of the island will welcome guests from summer 2019 after extensive renovation. The premium brand KAIRABA Hotels & Resorts is also expanding its range with the KAIRABA Mirbat Resort in Oman and the KAIRABA Sandy Villas on Corfu. For budget-conscious travellers who don’t want to do without a hip and modern atmosphere, the first Lemon & Soul hotels are now also available on the Canary Islands and in Egypt: The Lemon & Soul Cactus Garden will open in Jandía on Fuerteventura and, after a rebranding, will shine in the fresh design of the brand. In the Egyptian holiday resort of Makadi, guests of the Lemon & Soul Makadi Garden can enjoy the fantastic beaches at the Red Sea at low cost. In Dalaman on the Turkish Aegean Sea, the Group is offering its first hotel in the LABRANDA category Balance – the LABRANDA Loryma.

New programmes for North America and Oceania

Whether low-budget, all-inclusive, glamour camping or luxury lodges, by train, ship, rental car, bus or camper – the world can be discovered with FTI in a variety of ways by travelling according to the building block principle. The trend is driven by individuality and originality. There is an increasing demand for specialised packages and tours to little-known regions – organised and secured by the organiser.  From April, FTI will again publish three annual North America catalogues for holidays: USA & Bahamas, Canada & Alaska and Hawaii. The specialist is introducing the new “Comfort Service” concept across the board for its coach tours. It offers a range of facilities available in modern coach travel, including free Wi-Fi, pillows and blankets for each guest as well as higher quality hotels with free Wi-Fi, breakfast included and longer stays at the respective stations for more relaxed travel. 13 tours already include the new service and are marked in the catalogues. The programme for Australia, New Zealand and the South Seas is summarised by FTI in an annual Oceania catalogue. Special tours, insider tips and excursions increase the spectrum of Down Under travel. “Highlight of the Year” is the state of Western Australia, the region on the continent most known for adventure, untouched beaches, the Outback and a lively Aboriginal culture. For the South Seas, FTI has added a one-week luxury cruise on board the Paul Gauguin through French Polynesia.

Price development in summer 2019

Prices will remain stable for the most part.  “In some holiday countries, such as Egypt, a significantly larger price increase was to be expected due to the very high demand. However, we have been able to almost fully compensate for this through very good purchasing,” explains Dietmar Gunz. In the main, Australia and New Zealand have become cheaper. The reason for this is the significant weakening of the dollar in both countries. Despite high demand, prices in North America have stayed relatively stable.

Savings potential for early bookers for summer 2019

As usual, FTI divides early booking discounts into three levels: TOP early booking, super-early booking and early-bird discounts. Ralph Schiller says: “Big discounts are available on local and medium-haul routes, up to 50 percent in Italy and Turkey, for example, if booked by the end of November 2018. Spontaneous holidaymakers who book up to two months before their departure also get their money’s worth in many destinations”. The biggest savings can be enjoyed by guests wanting to visit the Orient: If they book up to 60 days before the start of the trip, selected hotels in Dubai offer up to 56 percent discount on the overnight price. In addition, almost two thirds of all hotels offer children’s discounts if booking with the tour operator – and almost all do in the Orient, Tunisia and Egypt. Usually little ones up to six years travel free of charge when sharing a double room. In selected hotels in Morocco, Croatia, Portugal, the emirates and the USA, kids under 18 can stay for free in their parents’ room.

New services

FTI is extending the cancellation terms: they are already in place for city trips, but now they apply to hotel-only deals too. From now on, customers can cancel their trip free of charge up to 14 days before arrival. This offer is valid in almost all hotels in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In addition, the tour operator has implemented both a B2B and a B2C WhatsApp information service and sends out exclusive news, invitations and offers to interested travel agency employees and customers via the messenger service. In response to several requests and for environmental reasons, FTI changed the default settings in the travel agency booking system on 1 October. From now on, travel documents will be sent by email to holidaymakers instead of by post. “Of course, we would still like to give our customers and agency partners the choice and send – if desired – the documents by post too. This way, we are saving our customers time and saving resources at the travel agency”, says Ralph Schiller.