TUI: Reorganization and Redistribution

[IMG=20977-6806]The Austrian TUI has recently been reorganized following the decision of the central office in Germany. Thus, Head of TUI Austria Holding, Franz Leitner, who was also responsible for Eastern Europe and Russia, including interactions with tour operators, resigned and was replaced on his position by Klaus Pumpel, who previously was a member of Board of Directors. According to unaccredited information, some other managers also left their positions. Moreover, Karin Rifaat, Press Secretary of TUI Austria Holding, said in the interview to a BANKO correspondent, that the changes also referred to redistribution of spheres of business: the office in Vienna is now responsible for Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia, while Poland will be in responsibility of the Office in Hanover and the Russian market will be a prerogative of the Swedish TUI Nordic. Karin Rifaat added: ‘everything was unexpected. We were shocked. However, I believe that Klaus Pumpel is a good manager’. Meanwhile, according to German mass media, reorganization of the company was provoked by a failed year on the Turkish destination. Before Karin Rifaat said in the interview to a BANKO correspondent that Turkish sales of the Austrian Office reduced at least by 20% since 2005. Furthermore, Russian travel market representatives are interested in how the current changes will influence further relationship of TUI and Mostravel and potential purchase of one of the multi-product tour operators, for example Capital Tour as it was pointed out before. On September 13th BANKO correspondents could not receive comments from TUI Nordic owing absence of competent managers in the office. Kuzey Alexander Esener, Press Secretary of the central Office of TUI in Germany, commented on the situation as follows: ‘I do not think TUI Nordic is ready for comments at the moment – they have just set about their new responsibilities. Moreover, at present I can not explain why the Russian market was transferred to their responsibility’. He also added that the official comment of the company will be prepared next week. BANKO will continue watching on the development of events.