NEWS THE INTERVIEW
ticking two boxes – we tick the family box and we have fun.” Destination-wise, increasing
interest in Menorca has resulted in demand for the island overtaking that for Ibiza. “Ibiza is still a very big family
destination, but the dynamics for Menorca are really good. It’s a very short flight, the infrastructure is effective for getting around the island and the beaches are great for families,” says Bates. “We have some very good product in Menorca, and people enjoy the laid-back atmosphere and quaintness of it.” The other top-selling family
destinations are Majorca, Antalya and Dalaman in Turkey, Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt and Rhodes.
Neurodiverse needs
Serving the needs of neurodiverse travellers has been a “really big focus” for Tui for some time, Bates says. Last year, the company
introduced specialist sensory rooms in two of its Tui Blue hotels; a further
travelweekly.co.uk
UK FAMILY BOOKING TRENDS
Children influence about 67% of family trip ideas
56% of families choose a hotel based on the quality of its kids’ club
Over-58s spent more than three times as much per
person on travel in 2023 as Gen Z (then aged 11-26)
Nearly 30% of parents are embracing ‘skip-gen
trips’ – sometimes sending their kids away with the grandparents only
Tui’s top family destinations: Majorca, Antalya, Dalaman, Sharm el-Sheikh, Rhodes
Sources: T ui; Allianz; AARP; CBI/Netherlands government
four hotels in the portfolio will have sensory rooms added this summer. All of Tui’s childcare and
entertainment staff receive neurodiversity training, and its Holiday Village properties use a labelling system that aims to make it clear what each activity involves. “We’ve introduced what we call
‘The Thingies’ – little characters that denote what type of activity it will be,” explains Bates. “There’s one
with big ear defenders who’s saying it’s going to be a quiet activity, and there are others that are more active or sporty, so they help families to choose what they want to do. “In line with that, we’ve created a
yellow Thingy lanyard – a bit like the sunflower lanyard – which is a cute thing the kid can wear and it means all of our teams can then pay a little bit of extra attention to make sure the child is getting what they need.”
12 MARCH 2026 11
Tui Kids’ Clubs offer a wide range of activities for children aged 3-12 years
PICTURES: Christian Wyrwa, Cezare White Photography, Giles Jenkyn Photography
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