TUI has signed a new strategic partnership with Bulgaria running to 2030 as it looks to grow its business in the destination, with a new 290-room TUI BLUE hotel due to open at Golden Sands, a resort town on the Black Sea Coast, next summer.
TUI Group CEO Sebastian Ebel and Bulgarian Tourism Minister Dr Ilin Dimitrov signed the Memorandum of Understanding at Euxinograd Palace on 24 September.
The agreement covers joint marketing, expanded TUI airline connections, new tourism products and improvements to the guest experience.
TUI said it aims to ‘significantly increase’ the number of customers it sends to Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast by 2030.
The new TUI BLUE Arabella is currently undergoing renovation and is scheduled to open in summer 2027. It will be the first TUI BLUE property on Bulgaria’s northern Black Sea coast.
TUI will also add the previously announced TUI Suneo Compass in Varna next year, taking its branded hotel portfolio in Bulgaria to five properties.
The group is also putting Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast in the spotlight with a Boeing 737-8 named Varna, which will operate across TUI’s international network.
The partnership will also focus on broadening Bulgaria’s appeal beyond beach holidays, with plans covering culture, nature, wellness, city breaks and culinary tourism.
Sebastian said: “Bulgaria has enormous potential as a tourism destination. The country combines attractive beach holidays on the Black Sea with culture, nature, hospitality and very good value for money.
“With our integrated model, including tour operators, airline, own hotels and our experiences business TUI Musement, we can help make the destination even more visible internationally and further develop it sustainably together with our partners on the ground.”
TUI Musement currently offers more than 150 excursions, activities and attraction tickets in Bulgaria, while TUI’s tour operator brands sell around 220 hotels from more than 150 partners in the country.
TUI Hotels & Resorts CEO Bernd Mäser added: “Bulgaria remains an attractive growth market for TUI Hotels & Resorts and an important destination for our guests. The signing for TUI BLUE Arabella is a further step in strengthening our hotel portfolio in the country and offering more high-quality holiday experiences in destinations with long-term potential.”
