As hotel operators in the south of the island say: TUI doesn't just bring tourists; it also brings strategy. For the fifth consecutive year, TUI Airlines has been recognized as "Europe's Leading Charter Airline" at the World Travel Awards 2025, a title that confirms the German group's dominance in European leisure air travel and its central role in destinations like Gran Canaria, the epicenter of its Atlantic network.
The award ceremony, held in Cagliari, Italy, recognized the excellence of the group, which comprises five national airlines—the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany—which transport millions of passengers to strategic tourist destinations such as Maspalomas, Costa Adeje, and Puerto del Carmen.
The recognition comes at a key moment for the Canary Islands tourism ecosystem, where TUI not only operates flights but also manages a substantial portion of hotel, logistics, and service connectivity. "This award is a great recognition of the commitment of our more than 8.000 colleagues," said Marco Ciomperlik, CEO of TUI Airlines. "It motivates us to continue improving our service so that passengers enjoy a first-class experience."
From Brussels, TUI's success is also interpreted as a reflection of the strength of the European leisure travel model following the COVID-19 crisis and the energy challenges arising from the war in Ukraine. "The leisure airline market has not only held up, but has also established itself as an economic and diplomatic vector for the EU," European Parliament sources point out.
In the Canary Islands, the impact is tangible. Gran Canaria Airport closed the summer with record figures, driven by the recovery of Nordic and German demand, and by TUI's policy of strengthening direct connectivity with outbound regions such as Bavaria, Flanders, and Scandinavia. Maspalomas, in particular, has once again become the most visited destination in the archipelago, according to data from AENA and the Island Council.
The German company maintains one of its largest tourism laboratories in the south of the island: self-managed hotels, agreements with local tour operators, and sustainability projects linked to energy consumption and carbon footprint. In 2024, TUI launched its "eco-lodging" pilot program in Meloneras as part of its roadmap toward climate neutrality by 2030.
Graham E. Cooke, founder of the World Travel Awards, praised the group's consistency: "The dedication of the TUI Airline team is truly inspiring; it sets standards in an extremely competitive European leisure market."
The recognition comes at the height of the Canary Islands' peak winter season, when northern European airlines redirect their traffic to the mid-Atlantic. In this context, TUI not only leads in awards, but also in policy: its vertical integration model—from flight to hotel—reinforces Gran Canaria's role as a laboratory for the European tourism transition.