TUI Hotels & Resorts lost €10 million in the first quarter of 2026 as a result of the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa to Jamaica last year.
The division’s earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) for the three months from October to December 2025 dropped to €131m, down from €150.3m the previous year.
TUI said the fall was ‘due to a loss of €10m as a result of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica and a positive valuation effect from the previous year of €15m’.
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on 28 October 2026, the strongest recorded hurricane to hit the island, grounding flights for several days and causing significant damage to hotels and other infrastructure.
CEO Sebastian Ebel told a media call: “Jamaica is a big destination for us. There are lots of flights from the UK. [Melissa] has affected Hotels & Resorts and Markets.”
He said all RIU properties in Jamaica have now reopened. “Our flight programme is 80% back. RIU is operational and working well,” he said.
However, properties in the Royalton Hotels & Resorts group, which is a TUI selected partner, remain closed. The company will reopen its Royalton Negril Royalton Hideaway Negril and Grand Lido Negril properties in August 2026 and its Royalton Blue Waters and Royalton Hideaway Blue Waters in September.
TUI expects to take a hit of around another €10m in the next quarter, to the end of March 2026, as a result of the hurricane.
The Jamaica update came as TUI Group reported its best first quarter in history, with EBIT up €26.3 million to €77.1m.
A total of 7.1m customers booked with TUI in the first quarter and group revenue remained nearly constant at €4.9 billion.
Sebastian added: “With a positive result in the first quarter, we have made a good start to financial year 2026, including strategic progress.
“We have accelerated our transformation in Markets & Airline and are converting to a global marketplace for curated travel. We are growing globally and reducing seasonality.”
The group has opened a new source market, Romania, this week and has opened 50 new travel agencies in Eastern Europe this year. TUI said agencies remain important in all markets.
Sebastian said: “Travel agencies remain important partners: many customers book earlier and higher quality there. That’s why this partnership is important for both sides.”
“In summary, we can say: TUI remains on a clear growth trajectory. We are pleased with our first‑quarter performance.
“Our integrated business model enables strong synergies between our two business areas: Markets & Airline – covering our tour operators and flight operations – and Holiday Experiences, which includes our hotels, cruises, and TUI Musement. This will also be crucial for the rest of the year.
“Bookings for winter 2025/26 and summer 2026 meet our expectations, demand remains robust.”
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