Combining commercial and tech expertise to fuel future growth
Rotterdam, 20th April 2026 – Sunweb Group, the European travel company behind brands such as Sunweb and Eliza was here, today announced the appointment of Alan French as Chief Product & Technology Officer (CPTO), effective as of 11th May this year. With French joining the management team, the company strengthens its strategic focus by combining commercial insight with technological expertise.
Alan French is well‑known in the international travel industry. With a proven track record and senior leadership positions at Thomas Cook and eSky Group, he brings extensive experience in digital transformation and commercial strategy. French describes travel as “the most exciting industry to work in”—a passion that continues to drive his work.
In the role of CPTO, French will focus on translating the company’s technology vision into commercial growth at a time when rapid advances in AI, digitalisation and data‑driven travel solutions are reshaping the sector. At the same time, he will prioritise using technology to further enhance the customer experience, believing that the right balance between technological innovation and commercial focus will be essential to the company’s future success.
Alan French: “The travel industry is evolving at an incredible pace. My ambition is to stay ahead of those technological developments while keeping a strong focus on our commercial goals and delivering the best possible holiday experience for our customers.”
With French on board, Sunweb Group further strengthens its position as an innovative player that views technology not just as support, but as a core driver of future growth.
Lars Löfgren, Interim CEO of Sunweb Group, adds:
“Alan knows the travel industry inside out and understands better than anyone how technology and commercial growth reinforce each other. Digitalization improves the travel experience—from simplifying the booking process to providing the right information at the right moment. By using data more effectively, we can quickly understand what travellers want and act on it immediately. This enables us to keep innovating while staying focused on what truly matters to our customers, both during the booking journey and at the destination.”
Sunweb Group today announced that Mieke De Schepper has decided to step down from her position as CEO and leave Sunweb. Until a successor has been appointed, Lars Löfgren, Non-Executive Director of the Board, will step in as Interim CEO. He will work closely with Managing Director Jeroen de Swart, CFO of Sunweb Group in the transition period.
Mieke joined Sunweb in May 2024 and has successfully led the company over the past two years and has continued to shape the company’s strategy – building the future of Sunweb by bringing together the best of two worlds, online travel and tour operating. During Mieke’s leadership, Sunweb has successfully digitalized the destination experience, strengthened our flight offering, and established Sunweb in Sweden.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors I would like to thank Mieke for her contribution and engagement in recent years. She leaves the business in a strong position. Despite the unrest in the Middle East, we are heading for a record ski season, Eliza was here continues to grow impressively, and the bookings for our Sun business are performing well ahead of last year. We wish Mieke all the best for her future career and private life,” says Lars Löfgren of Sunweb Group.
Demand for sustainable accommodation continues to grow
The year has only just begun, and Sunweb is already sharing positive news. For the second year in a row, the holiday provider has made clear progress on sustainability. In 2026, three Sunweb-managed hotels in popular ski destinations received the internationally recognised Green Key certification: Le Mont Corbier (Corbier), L’Ecrin des Neiges (Chamrousse) and Le Stella (Châtel).
In addition, Hotel Margot – Sunweb’s very first Green Key-certified hotel – has successfully renewed its certification.
“This is a great confirmation of our commitment to making holidays more sustainable. From using energy more efficiently to reducing waste and raising awareness among colleagues and guests, sustainability is not an extra for us – it’s simply part of the journey,” says Monique van Agthoven, Head of Sustainability at Sunweb Group.
One in five Sunweb travellers chose a certified sustainable stay
In 2025, more than 21% of Sunweb customers opted for accommodation with a recognised sustainability label, such as Green Key, Travelife or Ecostars, with Spain and Turkey leading the way.
These accommodations make a real difference through smart energy use, thoughtful waste management and care for people and local communities.
With Sunweb, booking sustainable accommodation is straightforward. Customers looking to stay in a certified accommodation simply need to select the ‘sustainably certified’ filter on one of the Sunweb websites. Certification information is always up to date and reliable too, thanks to a real-time connection with the BeCause platform.
Sustainable and popular with guests
Sustainability also goes hand in hand with guest satisfaction. In 2025, the Net Promoter Score (NPS) for sustainably certified accommodation was, on average, 0.7% higher than for non-certified stays.
Guests who choose these accommodations tend to value different things. They are more relaxed about atmosphere and service, but more critical when it comes to room quality, safety and value for money.
Towards 80% certified accommodation by 2030
Sunweb has a clear ambition: by 2030, 80% of its customers should be staying in sustainably certified accommodation. To achieve this, Sunweb works closely with local partners, Green Key and BeCause, with a strong focus on larger hotel chains.
“More and more travellers are showing that responsible choices can also deliver the best experiences. It’s no longer about being perfect, but about enjoying your holiday more consciously. And often, it’s those small, responsible choices that make a trip feel even more meaningful,” concludes Van Agthoven.
London, 21st November: Sunweb has been announced as the “World’s Best Ski Tour Operator 2025” securing the prestigious title for an impressive ninth time. This recognition continues Sunweb’s remarkable run, which includes four consecutive wins from 2021-2024 and five back-to-back victories between 2015-2019.
Renowned for delivering high-quality, affordable ski holidays, Sunweb continues to grow strongly across its seven European markets. The company’s inclusion of a ski pass in every holiday package remains a key differentiator, ensuring a hassle-free experience for customers. In addition, the Sunweb app allows travellers to contact digital guides, upgrade their package, rent ski equipment, and book ski lessons – all from one convenient place.
Alongside this year’s award win, Sunweb is celebrating exceptional market momentum, reporting a 25% increase in winter holiday package sales compared to last year. Ski bookings are rising across all seven markets, with the UK delivering particularly impressive growth – up nearly 65% YoY. Notably, half of this surge is driven by first-time Sunweb customers, while the operator’s groups department is seeing strong results as well.
A clear shift in booking behaviour is emerging, with skiers planning their holidays earlier than ever. Christmas and New Year weeks are proving extremely popular, and January is breaking booking records.
Jack Bolus, spokesperson for Sunweb, said: “We’re incredibly delighted to be recognised as the World’s Best Ski Tour Operator for an unprecedented ninth time. This award reinforces our commitment to delivering unforgettable winter sport experiences for our 375,000 customers each year. With demand at an all-time high, we’re excited to see the season get underway.”
Sunweb Group announces leadership change in management
Sunweb Group today announces that Tim Van den Bergh will be stepping down from his role as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), following a decade of dedicated leadership and contribution to the company’s growth and success.
Tim Van den Bergh will remain on as an advisor for the time being, helping to ensure continuity for Sunweb Group’s commercial teams, customers, and partners.
Tim Van den Bergh joined Sunweb Group ten years ago and has played a pivotal role in shaping the company. His entrepreneurial drive led to the creation of valuable partnerships and impactful contributions, especially during challenging times. Van den Bergh’s business was acquired twice by Sunweb Group, and he was instrumental in the sale to Triton in 2019. Over the years, he has led significant growth across marketing, e-commerce and multiple business units.
As the CCO position will not be replaced, Mieke De Schepper, CEO of Sunweb Group, will take on direct responsibility for leading the commercial team. This change marks a new chapter for Sunweb Group. With the CEO now directly steering the commercial team, the company is transitioning to a Business Unit-led operating model, empowering each unit (Sun, Ski and Eliza was here) with full profit and loss accountability and greater decision-making authority. This shift is designed to drive greater speed and focus across the organization.
Sunweb Group is deeply grateful for Tim’s many contributions and leadership throughout the past decade, and we wish him every success in his next chapter.
From the 30th of September, some Sunweb customers due to travel on their holidays over the next few months received phishing emails asking for them to confirm their details and make a payment, otherwise their holiday would be cancelled. These emails were from another companies hacked email server outside the Netherlands and not Sunweb.
Sunweb Group has, after a thorough investigation, confirmed that some of the data used in the phishing emails originated in one of its systems, which had been hacked. As a result, some customer data was taken by cyber criminals and was used for phishing emails. The incident has now been fully contained, and the affected system has been further secured.
Impact on customers
The breach affected customer contact details, including name, email address, and phone number, as well as booking information, such as travel dates and destinations. While this data is considered sensitive, we want to emphasize that no bank or credit card details, passwords, or passport/ID document information was accessed or taken.
Actions taken
Sunweb Group takes the protection of customer data extremely seriously and sincerely apologizes to those who may have been impacted. In response to the incident:
Customers are advised to remain vigilant. If anyone suspects they have been responded to a phishing email, they should contact their bank immediately and report the incident to the appropriate authorities.
For any questions or concerns, customers can contact our Customer Service team.
Sunweb Group, the holiday provider behind well-known brands such as Sunweb, Eliza was here, and GOGO, is introducing a sustainability filter on their Sunweb and Eliza was here platforms. This filter allows holidaymakers to quickly and easily find accommodations that are certified by reputable and independent sustainability organisations, so they can make well-informed and responsible choices when booking their accommodation.
Insight into impact when booking
This new search feature is in line with Sunweb Group’s broader sustainability strategy. It gives customers more insight into the impact of their choices when booking a holiday and makes it easier to make more responsible decisions. Currently, around 10% of accommodations in the group’s offering has a sustainability certification. Certified accommodations meet strict criteria around waste, water and energy management, biodiversity and working conditions.
Certification by independent organisations
All accommodations included in the filter have been assessed by independent parties such as Green Key, Travelife and Ecostars. They verify whether an accommodation meets strict sustainability standards on criteria like responsible energy usage, waste management and social responsibility. Thanks to a real-time connection with the BeCause platform – which manages certification data for businesses and keeps them up-to-date – this information is current and reliable.
Sunweb Group takes active role
Sunweb Group actively promotes the certification of accommodations in their offering. By working with carefully selected partners at key European destinations, the company aims to affect sustainability policies at these locations. Sustainability also plays a key role in the long-term partnerships that are established with hotels. One example is Résidence Club Margot in Superdévoluy (France), which recently obtained the Green Key certification.
Additionally, Sunweb Group offers training to its partners, in collaboration with its new preferred partner Green Key, encouraging them to obtain sustainability certifications for their accommodations. Sunweb Group aims to almost exclusively offer certified accommodations by 2030.
“We believe that holidays have a positive impact, both on travellers and the destinations they visit,” says Mieke De Schepper, CEO of Sunweb Group. “With the sustainability filter, we want to make sustainable options more transparent and accessible, enabling holidaymakers to make informed choices. Our goal is clear: by 2030, we want to offer almost exclusively certified accommodations, as making more responsible choices is essential for the future of the travel industry.”
Asam Nawaz, Head of Sales at BeCause, adds: “Our partnership with Sunweb Group allows for real-time integration of certification data for the accommodations in their offering. This gives travellers insight into the sustainability status of their chosen accommodation. It helps them make conscious decisions, and contributes to a more sustainable travel industry.”
Sunweb Group:
Martine Langerak, Head of Corporate Communications
Mobile: +31 6 53131604
Email: Martine.Langerak@sunwebgroup.com
The early booking season for the summer of 2025 has kicked off at Sunweb Group, and Dutch travelers are already booking in large numbers. In 2025, Sunweb Group, known for brands such as Sunweb, Eliza was Here, and GOGO, will continue to adapt to the changing preferences and behavior of consumers. The company is also launching new initiatives to ensure travelers can enjoy worry-free vacations.
“We love holidays,” says Mieke De Schepper, CEO of Sunweb Group, who has led one of the Netherlands’ largest travel companies since May 2024. “Our goal remains unchanged: to provide every customer with a well-deserved break. That’s why this summer we are focusing even more on affordability, quality, flexibility, and top-notch service.”
With the new “Lowest Price Guarantee,” the holiday provider aims to assure customers of the best price-to-quality ratio for its offerings. Sunweb does not position itself as a budget travel company, but prioritizes providing the best deals, emphasizing value for money. The goal is to keep holidays affordable and accessible without compromising on quality or variety.
This approach responds to consumer needs. Dutch travelers still value taking vacations but are becoming more price-conscious and making different budget decisions. Sunweb has observed that 35% of Dutch travelers are opting for shorter winter sports trips this season and that customers are increasingly taking advantage of promotions such as Black Friday and early booking deals. With the Lowest Price Guarantee, Sunweb ensures customers get the best vacation for their budget.
For years, Sunweb Group has noticed that customers prefer digital communication channels. However, Sunweb staff will continue to be physically present at destinations for airport greetings and emergency situations. This setup means improved self-service options for customers, 24/7 access to digital guides, and on-the-ground support if needed.
The Sunweb app is where this digital service focus is most apparent. Travelers can use the app to book or modify vacations. During their trip, they can contact guides, book extras such as excursions, car rentals, or ski lessons, and access all vouchers for hotels and partners. The app serves as a central hub where users can customize and adjust their vacations flexibly and conveniently.
To meet customer needs flexibly and offer the best vacations at competitive prices throughout the season, Sunweb Group is expanding its dynamic offerings. Through strategic partnerships with airlines and accommodation providers, Sunweb Group continues to provide affordable and relevant options. The company’s strategy focuses on a select number of destinations, making Sunweb a stronger partner in those areas, which results in better prices and higher service quality for customers.
The growth in flights departing from airports outside the Netherlands also underscores the demand for flexibility and affordability. While only 6% of Dutch travelers flew from foreign airports before the pandemic, this number has risen to 25% by 2024. Sunweb Group expects this trend to continue.
“That said, most flights still depart from Dutch airports,” De Schepper clarifies. “Our long-standing partnership with Transavia remains intact. At the same time, we support Transavia regarding the proposed nighttime closure of Schiphol Airport. In addition to the flight tax, eliminating night flights and the resulting higher costs will directly impact Dutch travelers’ wallets. We urge stakeholders to seek alternative solutions that protect the affordability and accessibility of vacations.”
De Schepper is optimistic about 2025. “Our winter sports season is already showing growth compared to the same period last year, and the previous season broke the record from the year before. Additionally, 2024 was the best year ever for Eliza was Here. While early booking traditionally starts in mid-December, we saw bookings for the summer of 2025 coming in as early as November. This reassures us that, with the right offerings at the right prices, Dutch consumers still want to enjoy a well-deserved, worry-free vacation.”
Stockholm, 12 November 2024 – On 10 December, one of Europe’s leading holiday providers will enter the Swedish market when Airtours officially changes its name to Sunweb. With big ambitions, as Sunweb wants to challenge the traditional travel industry and aims to become a top 3 holiday provider in Sweden. In a market of uniform offerings, Sunweb brings a fresh, challenging alternative as the first in Sweden to offer a lowest price guarantee on all package holidays.
Airtours joined Sunweb Group in 2022
In the autumn of 2022, Airtours, ranked as top four among Sweden’s travel companies, was acquired by Sunweb Group, one of Europe’s leading holiday providers serving 1.3 million holiday makers a year. Two years later, on 10 December 2024, Airtours will officially become Sunweb – a challenger brand that wants to shake up the Swedish market by offering travellers more flexible package holidays at competitive prices and high standards.
First travel company in Sweden with lowest price guarantee and proven success in Denmark
Alongside its entry into the Swedish market, Sunweb is directly introducing a unique offer in Sweden: the lowest price guarantee. This new initiative addresses the Swedish demand for competitive pricing in the travel sector, making Sunweb the go-to choice for budget-conscious consumers, in each travel segment from 3 to 5+ star holidays. Another unique service is the opportunity for Swedish travellers to rebook their trip free of charge for any reason.
Airtours founder and CEO Stefan Chatzopoulos, who will assume the role of Sunweb Sweden’s Country Manager, firmly believes that this transition will bring significant benefits to Swedish travellers:
“Sweden is a price-conscious market. Why should customers pay more to see the same sunset? In addition, Swedes are trend-sensitive and used to being flexible in their everyday lives. We know that it is important to offer consumers more flexibility in planning their holidays. These Sunweb offerings were introduced 15 years ago in Denmark and have been highly valued by the Danes ever since.”
Curated holidays
Just like Airtours, Sunweb will offer affordable and customised package holidays to popular sun and beach destinations across Europe. As the number one ski tour operator in Europe, Sunweb is now also expanding its winter sports offering to the Swedish market.
Unlike other travel companies in Sweden, Sunweb does not have its own hotels or flights, which gives them significantly more flexibility to adapt their offerings to meet customer needs and demand.
“We let our customers guide us; not the other way around. This means that we personally visit every accommodation in our portfolio to ensure it meets our high standards. By carefully selecting our offering, it aligns perfectly with our customers’ unique needs and preferences. This way, we ensure that every holiday we offer is relevant and excellent,” says Chatzopoulos.
PR Agency, Dentsu Creative:
Lie Barrén or Paula Barrios
Phone: +46 (0)70 223 00 15
Email: airtours@dentsu.com
Sunweb:
Stefan Chatzopoulos, Country Manager
Email: Stefan.Chatzopoulos@sunwebgroup.com
Sunweb Group:
Martine Langerak, Head of Corporate Communications
Mobile: +31 6 53131604
Email: Martine.Langerak@sunwebgroup.com
London, 12th November Sunweb has been announced as the “World’s Best Ski Tour Operator 2024” for an eighth year.
The victory means that the leading ski tour operator has won the award in each of the last three years, following a consecutive run of five wins from 2015-2019. Providing first class holidays at affordable prices, Sunweb strives to offer winter sport customers in seven European markets unforgettable experiences on the slopes.
Sunweb’s unique inclusion of a ski pass in every holiday package further highlights its dedication to providing hassle-free, high quality ski holidays for all its customers and setting itself apart from the competition in the process. The Sunweb app also allows holidaymakers, beside contact the digital guides, to upgrade their packages, rent ski equipment and book ski lessons.
Spokesperson for Sunweb, Jack Bolus said: “We’re incredibly delighted to have been recognised by industry leaders and our customers as the World’s Best Ski Tour Operator for an unprecedented eighth time.
“Scooping this award serves to strengthen our commitment to delivering the best quality holidays for our 350,000 winter sport customers and we’re excited to see this season get underway.”