Thomson Holidays — now trading as TUI following a rebrand in September 2018 — is the UK’s largest holiday company, with over 50 years of experience and a programme covering more than 200 destinations worldwide. Whether you’re looking for a family beach break, an all-inclusive in Turkey, or a long-haul adventure to the Caribbean, TUI offers one of the widest ranges of any operator in the market — with own-brand hotels, own aircraft, and complete ATOL protection.
Thomson Holidays was founded in 1965 and spent decades as the UK’s market-leading package operator. In 2018 the Thomson brand was retired across all markets in favour of the parent group name TUI — one of the world’s largest tourism businesses, operating airlines, hotels, cruise ships, and retail travel agencies across 180 countries.
For UK travellers, TUI is what most people still think of as Thomson. The product is largely the same — package holidays, all-inclusives, family resorts, and long-haul adventures, all operated on TUI’s own aircraft (formerly Thomson Airways) with departures from airports across the UK. The rebrand didn’t change the fundamental offer; it just unified it under a single global brand.
TUI’s destination range is the broadest of any UK operator. Key regions include:
Spain is TUI’s biggest market. The Balearics (Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza), the mainland costas (Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca), and Benidorm all feature heavily.
TUI is one of the biggest operators to the Canary Islands, with year-round flights to Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura from airports across the UK.
TUI covers all major Greek islands including Crete, Rhodes, Kos, Corfu, and Zante, alongside Turkey‘s most popular resorts — Antalya, Bodrum, Marmaris, and Side.
Egypt (Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh), Cyprus, Morocco, and Tunisia all feature in the TUI programme, particularly for winter sun and budget all-inclusive seekers.
TUI covers the Caribbean (Barbados, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Cuba), Mexico (Cancun, Mayan Riviera), Florida, and the Far East. TUI Sensatori and TUI Blue own-brand hotels bring premium long-haul options.
TUI’s breadth means it covers every holiday type:
TUI is one of the best operators for last-minute deals, thanks to the sheer volume of inventory it needs to fill each season. The TUI Late Deals section regularly features significant reductions — 20–40% off standard prices — for departures within 4–8 weeks. Turkey, Egypt, and the Canary Islands tend to offer the sharpest TUI late-deal pricing.
The TUI January Sale is one of the year’s biggest travel events — launched in the first week of January, it typically offers early-bird savings of 10–25% across summer packages, with free child places and complimentary upgrades added to sweeten specific deals. Summer 2026 packages at January sale prices are typically 15–20% cheaper than the same holidays in March or April.
For cheap holiday seekers, TUI’s own-brand hotels at three-star level in Turkey and Egypt often match or beat First Choice and budget operators on a like-for-like basis — especially with ATOL protection and transfers included.
TUI operates several own-brand hotel collections that deliver a consistent quality benchmark:
Yes. All TUI package holidays are ATOL protected under ATOL licence 2524. This is one of the UK’s largest ATOL licences, covering all TUI and First Choice package bookings. Financial protection is automatic on any flight-inclusive package — you’ll receive a full refund or repatriation if TUI ceases trading before or during your holiday.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1965 (as Thomson Holidays); rebranded TUI 2018 |
| Best For | All types of traveller; families, all-inclusive, long-haul |
| Top Destinations | Spain, Canaries, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Caribbean, Mexico |
| Holiday Types | All-inclusive, package, family, long-haul, last-minute |
| ATOL Protected | Yes (ATOL 2524) |
| Own Hotels | TUI Blue, Sensatori, Sensimar, Family Life |
| Departure Airports | UK-wide (TUIfly network) |
Yes. Thomson Holidays rebranded to TUI in September 2018 across all UK markets. The product, aircraft, and holidays remain largely the same — the change was a global brand unification under the TUI parent group name. Many travellers still search for “Thomson holidays” and “Thomson late deals” — the TUI website and all booking systems are the same destination.
TUI flies to over 200 destinations from UK airports. The most popular include Spain (Majorca, Ibiza, Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca), the Canary Islands (Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura), Greece (Crete, Rhodes, Kos, Corfu, Zante), Turkey (Antalya, Bodrum, Marmaris), Egypt, Cyprus, the Caribbean (Barbados, Jamaica, Dominican Republic), Mexico (Cancun), Florida, and the Far East.
TUI late deals are strongest 4–8 weeks before departure. The TUI January Sale (typically launching in the first week of January) is the biggest event of the year for early-bird summer pricing. Turkey, Egypt, and the Canary Islands consistently offer the deepest TUI late-deal discounts — often 20–40% below standard pricing. Check the TUI Late Deals section regularly as availability changes daily.
TUI operates four main own-brand hotel collections: TUI Blue (premium all-inclusive resorts in Spain, Turkey, Greece, and the Caribbean), Sensatori (flagship luxury all-inclusive; Turkey, Greece, Jamaica, Mexico), Sensimar (adults-only all-inclusive for couples), and Family Life (family-focused resorts with dedicated children’s facilities). These TUI-branded properties offer a consistent quality guarantee and are often the first to sell out in peak season.
