TUI Russia & CIS have announced the launch of the TUI brand in Russia & Ukraine. The joint venture between TUI Travel PLC and S-Group Capital Management (SGCM) has committed to spend up to $60 million on the TUI Russia & CIS businesses – Mostravel, VKO Group and Voyage Kiev – over the next three years in the areas of brand, e-commerce, management and technology. The highlights of the brand launch include:
• Over 200 owned and franchise travel agencies to use the TUI brand in Russia and Ukraine
• All agencies connected to one call centre and supported online
• Choice of 20 destinations, with Cyprus new for Russia in 2010
• 10 new look brochures for Russia with four new programmes including a TUI Experiences brochure and a TUI Family brochure
• Free children’s clubs
• International service standards
• Money back guarantee
• A marketing and advertising campaign will be launched later in March with the slogan ‘Anything for your smile’. The TUI brand values of being a reliable, responsible and inspiring tour operator will be promoted.
TUI Russia & CIS entered the market in 2009 with the aim of building a market leading travel business with its partner SGCM and the businesses VKO Group, Mostravel and Voyage Kiev. TUI Russia & CIS aims to be recognizd as the number one for customer service, best practice and range of products and experiences. The new venture predicted that it will capture a 10 percent market share before the end of the year.
Peter Long, Chief Executive, TUI Travel PLC commented: “We are delighted to launch the TUI brand in Russia and Ukraine. We welcome customers to try our new products, destinations and in-store experience. We have products to suit all customer needs from family holiday clubs in Spain to cruising in the Caribbean to expeditions to the North Pole. Our high quality international standards, means we will be the travel brand that Russian and Ukrainian customers can rely on.”
TUI Russia & CIS is a joint venture between TUI Travel PLC and the Russian investment company S-Group Capital Management. TUI Russia & CIS was launched in April 15, 2009. The company combines Russian VKO Group and Mostravel and Ukrainian Voyage Kiev. These businesses take over half million customers on holiday each year to over 20 destinations. There are over 200 owned and franchised shops and they employ over 1500.
