TUI has become the first European tour operator to be granted a licence to organise international travel for Chinese holidaymakers.
TUI China is one of only three foreign countries to be given an outbound licence by the China National Tourism Authority (CNTA).
"Recognising the market’s growth potential, we have invested in China and positioned the TUI brand early on," the TUI AG chief executive officer Michael Frenzel.
"Our strategy has clearly been validated by the granting of the ‘outbound’ licence."
Prior to receiving the new licence, TUI China has focused on the inbound Chinese travel market. With the new license for international travel, TUI China will be able to further exploit the potential of the fast-growing Chinese tourism market, it said.
TUI China was founded in 2003 as a joint-venture between TUI AG, which holds 75% of the shares, and China Travel Service. It is the only joint venture in the Chinese travel market in which a foreign company is the majority owner.
By Linsey McNeill
