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Fun-loving holidaymakers in search of glorious ski days may want to consider jetting off to the French slopes of La Plagne and Meribel, as a new report reveals both resorts have the highest number of ‘Bluebird’ days on average.

Leading holiday operator, Sunweb, has created the Bluebird Index – historical analysis of weather conditions [1] at 30 of Europe’s top alpine destinations – to help snow sports enthusiasts decide the best time to plan their trip for optimal weather conditions.

A Bluebird day – a day with great skiing conditions, blue, cloudless skies, and sunny weather – is often hard to predict on skiing holidays.[2] Sunweb’s Index reveals that the second week in March offers the best weather conditions on average across the resorts analysed.

French resorts, La Plagne and Meribel, top the charts averaging 4.2 days of clear blue skies and good snow conditions, which typically fall in the second week of March. Following closely behind, Val d’Isere/Tignes (3.8 days), Val Thorens (3.6 days), Les Deux Alpes (3.4 days) and Italian resort Sauze d’Oulx (3.4 days) also have their best weather conditions during the second week of March.

Kronplatz, in Italy, creeping in at 10th place represents the only resort in the top 10 to have its prime Bluebird week in the depths of winter (first week of January). With 3.1 days of pristine conditions, the Italian resort offers up an alternative for a quick new year getaway.

For the experts wanting to experience the longest black run in Europe – La Sarenne, in Alpe d’Huez – research shows the best week to head is the second week of March where the destination has an average of 3.5 Bluebird days during the week – one for a last-minute trip!

Sauze D’Oulx, home of freestyle skiing at the 2006 Olympics is the highest-ranking Italian destination. The resort in the Milky Way, a ski area spanning parts of France and Italy, averages 3.4 days of pristine conditions in both the fourth week of December and the second week of March.

Martine Langerak, Head of Communications for Sunweb Group, said: “There’s so much that goes into planning a skiing holiday, but the one thing that we can’t control is the weather.

“We hope the Bluebird Index will assist families and friends who are looking to get their fix of the slopes this winter, by offering a little insight into the weather conditions. And if all else fails, there is always Après if the conditions are not in your favour!

“For those wanting to heed the advice of the Bluebird Index, Sunweb has offers in both La Plagne and Meribel from less than £60 per person per night for the second week of March. All holidays booked through us include ski passes for your entire trip, so that’s one less thing to think about while you enjoy the weather.”

Notes to editors
1Research carried out using weather data from https://www.snow-forecast.com/dating from 2007 to 2022 for Bluebird conditions at the top of the mountain.
2 Snow-forecast.com defines a Bluebird day as a day with “Average snow, mostly sunny, light wind”

London, 15th November 2022 – Today, Eliza was here unveils its refreshed brand identity and expands its international offering with more exclusive accommodations now available to UK customers.

The travel provider, known for offering unique holiday experiences off the beaten track, has also refreshed its branding to better reflect the company’s ethos. It includes eye-catching visuals and grabs attention through the power of scent and sound.

More sun, sea and sand
Eliza was here, part of Sunweb Group, was launched in the Netherlands in 2001 and rapidly became the go-to holiday agent for exceptional destinations for customers from Benelux, Denmark. Launched in the UK earlier this year, Eliza was here is bringing its unique Mediterranean experiences to British holidaymakers.

To add to its picturesque and contemporary escape spots away from the crowds, Eliza was here has broadened its selective portfolio with hand-picked boutique accommodations and premium locations within walking distance from a village, a beach or its own private pool.

For those looking for some Spanish sunshine, Eliza was here has added La Bobadilla in Andalusia and Es Pas Formentera Agroturismo in Formentera. Holidaymakers visiting the Costa de Lisboa, in Portugal can now also book a stay in Hotel Immerso, nestled in a green valley in complete harmony with its surroundings.

Branding that literally tickles the senses
Simultaneously, the new brand identity is being rolled out across Europe via the website and app, and via out-of-home, display and television advertisements.

To connect with more customers, Eliza was here is expanding its branding with its very own unique scent and sound, in collaboration with Tambr. Together, they have created a sonic brand: a unique sound based on algorithms and AI that delivers recognisable music, putting people in the holiday mood at the click of a button. Eliza was here immediately takes over your senses and can transport you from the office to the beach in a matter of seconds.

In collaboration with iScent, Eliza was here has also developed its own holiday scent based on the Mediterranean destinations that Eliza has to offer, touching upon all the natural elements and tones that come with being on holiday. Research finds that scent can evoke emotion and is often linked to memories, allowing Eliza was here fans to reminisce about their trip of a lifetime. The Eliza was here scent will be available in 200 accommodations and will be offered to guests at the end of their holiday.

“The concept connects to our strategic vision as leading digital holiday expert and meets the needs of the modern consumer. We want to generate demand for remarkable holiday experiences and be an inspiration to holidaymakers across Europe. Eliza was here takes you places, so inspirational brand placement and experience are pivotal here,” says Tim van den Bergh, Director Eliza was here.

Personable, familiar and friendly
The Eliza was here logo has also had an exciting refresh. With handwritten copy to deliver an even more personal touch, the brand wants customers to feel as if ‘Eliza’ is making the destination recommendation herself. The new asterisk (*) acts as an instantly recognisable signifier, which is repeated throughout the brand visuals, meaning ‘more here’ – a reference to the one-of-a-kind destinations and memories that Eliza was here can help customers discover.

The same personable handwritten style is found in the brand’s new typography. The original pink-blue colour palette has made way for a combination of pink with softer, natural colours such as beige, yellow and light blue.

Ambitious
The renewed brand positioning aims to support and accelerate the company’s growth by positioning Eliza was here as a leading online holiday expert.

“It is our ambition to expand Eliza was here to new markets and to appeal to a wider audience. In order to make this happen, we need a strong and clear digital brand with a consistent and uniform presence across channels,” according to Van den Bergh.

London, 3 November 2022 – Today, Sunweb Group, one of the leading European travel organizations, is announcing its partnership with Neste, the world’s largest producer of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and diesel. The move means the Group is Neste’s first travel industry partner that is taking the important step despite not owning any aircraft.

In spring 2022, the travel company announced it would no longer compensate CO2 directly, but instead invest in reducing emissions from its own products. The funds generated by the move have allowed Sunweb Group to partner with Neste by purchasing 385,000 litres of SAF to reduce its CO2 emissions.

SAF is the most sustainable fuel alternative currently on the market, emitting at least 80%1 less greenhouse gases (GHG) compared to using fossil kerosine. The fuel purchased from Neste by Sunweb Group is produced from 100% sustainably sourced renewable waste and residue raw materials such as used cooking oil.

The move is also in addition to an on-going collaboration between Sunweb Group and Dutch airline Transavia in April 2022, when they announced they would invest in a shared sustainability budget in SAF.

“While this initial SAF purchase is currently a small amount, it is an important step towards making flying more sustainable,” says Chris Oskam, Sunweb Group’s Head of Sustainability. “SAF is the most effective way of lowering our CO2 footprint. At the moment, less than 0.1% of all aviation fuel used globally is SAF2. In order to reduce airplane emissions, we need to raise SAF’s share. With this new investment, we add another 0.5% of SAF to all flights taken by Sunweb Group’s one million customers in 2022, and in doing so we aim to show that sustainability is a responsibility for us all,” concludes Oskam.

“Neste is committed to helping the aviation industry become more sustainable and working together with innovative and forward thinking partners who share our ambitions is key to success. As one of the largest travel organizations in Europe, Sunweb Group is taking on the responsibility to make their offering more sustainable by buying SAF and applying it directly for their clientele. This is a first of its kind collaboration, and we hope it will be inspiring for other forward thinking organizations. The world needs these kinds of pioneers to lead the way towards a more sustainable future,” says Jason Reichow, Vice President Business Development Renewable Aviation at Neste.

Neste: Please contact Neste’s media service, tel. +358 800 94025 / media@neste.com (weekdays from 8.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. EET).

1Measured over the fuel’s lifetime and calculated with the proven LCA methodologies for life cycle analysis, including the CORSIA methodology

Neste in brief
Neste (NESTE, Nasdaq Helsinki) creates solutions for combating climate change and accelerating a shift to a circular economy. We refine waste, residues and innovative raw materials into renewable fuels and sustainable feedstock for plastics and other materials. We are the world’s leading producer of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel and developing chemical recycling to combat the plastic waste challenge. We aim at helping customers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions with our renewable and circular solutions by at least 20 million tons annually by 2030. Our ambition is to make the Porvoo oil refinery in Finland the most sustainable refinery in Europe by 2030. We are introducing renewable and recycled raw materials such as liquefied waste plastic as refinery raw materials. We have committed to reaching carbon-neutral production by 2035, and we will reduce the carbon emission intensity of sold products by 50% by 2040. We also have set high standards for biodiversity, human rights and supply chain. We have consistently been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices and the Global 100 list of the world’s most sustainable companies. In 2021, Neste’s revenue stood at EUR 15.1 billion. Read more: neste.com

Rotterdam, 3 November 2022 – Digital holiday expert Sunweb Group has acquired Sweden’s fourth largest tour operator, Airtours. The acquisition strengthens Sunweb’s position in Sweden and is in line with its ambition to become one of the biggest holiday operators in the Nordic countries.

Sunweb Group, one of Europe’s largest travel operators, sees Airtours as an ideal match for its expansion in the Nordics. The Group, which was founded in 1991 and serves over one million travelers every year in seven European countries, is supported by majority owner Triton, an international investment company.

Airtours, which was founded in 1998, serves around 100,000 travelers every year. The acquisition will build on Sunweb Group’s existing business in Denmark and Sweden to become one of the leading players in the Nordics.

The deal will allow Airtours customers to benefit from a wider choice of destinations in Europe, with greater flexibility and improved technology.

“We are very pleased that Airtours is becoming part of the Sunweb Group family. Not only do we share the same business model, but also the same mentality of always challenging the travel industry and putting customers first,” said Mattijs ten Brink, CEO at Sunweb Group. “In 2022 we have been leveraging all the hard work done during the two pandemic years. This has resulted in the best financial results in our history, increased market shares in our home markets, the introduction of cruises, as well as the launches of Eliza was here in the UK, and Sunweb in Sweden. In 2023 we will continue to build on our improved market position and maintain our growth. In Scandinavia, we now take an important step towards becoming one of the largest players in the market”.

Ideal match
Sunweb Group and Airtours are an ideal match as both companies are asset-light and sell directly to customers, while offering full flexibility with the security of a package holiday. The product offerings are also highly complementary.

Early during the pandemic, Airtours took the decision to look for a partner to maximise openings in the market during what was a difficult time.

“The pandemic brought changes and openings to the market, which we identified as an early opportunity to leverage. We started looking for a partner and quickly realized that Sunweb Group was the perfect fit. Both businesses share a customer-centric approach and mutual values. We believe that our similar business models are well-suited and will allow us to grow, challenge and become one of the biggest tour operators in the Nordics”, said Stefan Chatzopoulos, one of Airtours’ founders.

With well-known brands such as Sunweb and Eliza, Sunweb Group has an annual turnover of more than 800 million euros. It was acquired by private equity fund Triton V in 2019.

London, 23 September – The world’s most exciting winter dance festival, Tomorrowland Winter, is confirmed to return for the third time. Sunweb, Tomorrowland and Alpe d’Huez are joining forces to organise the renowned event, which will take place from 18- 25 March 2023 in the French ski resort. ‘People of Tomorrow’ will be able to combine a unique winter sports holiday and festival experience, all at more than 2,000 metres above sea level in the famous Alpe d’Huez mountains.

Tomorrowland Winter offers a comprehensive concept for which Sunweb organises all bookings for thousands of winter sports and festival goers as the event’s exclusive travel partner. Sunweb offers festival-goers the ability to book mountain passes, accommodation, festival ticket upgrades and accommodation transfers all in one place.

Ultimate winter sports and festival experience
From 18 – 25 March 2023, French ski resort Alpe d’Huez is all about skiing, snowboarding and partying in the magical setting of Tomorrowland Winter. For the third time, Sunweb, Tomorrowland and Alpe d’Huez are together organising the largest festival in the mountains, with its numerous stages exclusively accessible to the ‘People of Tomorrow’. The 2023 winter edition promises to be an impressive one, featuring over 100 of the best DJs in the world, including Netsky, Afrojack, Lost Frequencies, Martin Garrix, and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, who will give it their all at great heights: between 2,000 and 3,300 metres above sea level.

The biggest ski tour operator, the largest festival organiser and the most famous French ski resort are joining forces to create the ultimate festival and winter sports holiday in the French Alps. All three parties are essential and their input cannot be underestimated. Alpe d’Huez makes its’ pistes exclusively available to the festival, Tomorrowland Winter provides an unrivalled party experience, and Sunweb is the festival’s sole tour operator; creating and maintaining the booking site, and taking care of the holiday makers’ complete journey and stay.

“Tomorrowland Winter remains a rock-solid concept that captures the imagination,” says Tim Van den Bergh, Sunweb Group’s Director Sun & Beach Holidays and Specialties. “Its international character and the enticing mix of the festival and one of the world’s premium ski and snowboard areas make Tomorrowland Winter the ultimate destination for festival and winter sports enthusiasts. We support the customer journey from orientation and booking until aftercare. On location, we will do everything we can to help our guests when they need us and enhance their stay. As exclusive travel partner, we are doing our utmost to give the ‘People of Tomorrow’ the experience of a lifetime.”

Diehard winter sports enthusiasts more than welcome
Package deals can be booked with a stay in Alpe d’Huez for the full experience via Tomorrowland Winter’s event site. Diehard winter sports fans, who are most interested in skiing or snowboarding in one the best ski resorts in the world, can look to Sunweb to enjoy the unique festival on the piste during the day. The special Mountain Pass is exclusively available via the Sunweb website, offering accommodation in the surrounding villages Oz-en-Oisans of Villard-Reculas.

Festival goers who want to continue their party into the night can book festival tickets for one night or upgrade their entire stay – subject to availability. Partygoers can also book transfer back to their accommodation via Sunweb.

Ticket sales
The first batch of tickets will go on sale from 24 September. 7-day package deals with stay in Alpe d’Huez are available via the Tomorrowland Winter event site. From that evening, 7-day package deals with stay in the surrounding villages will be available via Sunweb.

From 1 and 14 October respectively, travellers will be able to book 4-day packages and 1-day festival tickets – via Tomorrowland Winter’s event site for accommodation in Alpe d’Huez, and via Sunweb for stay in the nearby villages.

“We are really proud to once again be able to partner with Tomorrowland Winter and offer our expertise to facilitate all steps of the booking process for both winter sports fanatics and partygoers. For our team, this project is an adventure in itself. Our developers have been hard at work building the website, and we utilise the event for our employee experience. After all, we want to enhance customer experience whenever and wherever we can,” Van den Bergh concludes.

Deepika Gupta

Deepika Gupta comments on her appointment, saying: “Traditionally, the travel industry is a people’s business. My goal is to optimize our IT operations whilst putting people at the center of it. Through high performing teams where members actively take time to learn and grow, we will focus on delivering value faster to our customers, partners and employee.”

Mattijs ten Brink, CEO at Sunweb Group, says: “I am very glad that Deepika is joining our team. We want to be the leading digital holiday expert and offer holidaymakers even more personalized experiences. With her expertise in business transformations and technology, I am confident she will make great contribution towards reaching this goal.”

Deepika will be part of Sunweb Group’s Management Board, which after the earlier appointment of Ruud Martens as CCO, is now complete.

Rotterdam, 13 juni 2022 – To make sustainable and relaxed train travel more attractive to a wider audience, Sunweb Group and European Sleeper are fully committed to the introduction of direct night trains to popular winter sports and sun destinations. The ambition is to start with the first trains to the French Alps this winter. The next step is a night train that will take holidaymakers directly to the beaches of southern France in the summer season.

In the coming period, the new partners will further develop the travel offers. The night train in particular has many advantages for the customers of Sunweb Group. The journey is sustainable and safe, while being an experience in itself. Because you sleep while travelling, the longer travel time is not an issue. You arrive at your destination well-rested, and the holiday can start right away. For the winter sports holiday, this means, for example, that you can ski for almost eight full days. We offer many boarding stations in the Netherlands and Belgium and one can get off the trains close to the resorts.

Sunweb Group has expressed the ambition to offer more sustainable travel options. At the beginning of this year, CEO of Sunweb Group, Mattijs ten Brink, already indicated that he would be offering more alternatives. Train holidays to southern Italy can now be booked through subsidiary Eliza was here. The next step is to offer entire trains to different destinations in France and Italy, so that the ecological footprint can be further reduced. With this, Sunweb Group wants to make holidays by train accessible to a much larger audience.

European Sleeper is a new Dutch-Belgian railway company dedicated to night trains. The plans of Sunweb Group fit perfectly with European Sleeper’s ambitions to build a network of night trains from the Netherlands and Belgium. In addition to the already planned night train from Brussels and Amsterdam to Berlin and Prague, a new night train to France is now being prepared. To be able to grow further in the future, European Sleeper will also invest in new sleeping cars. At the end of June, large and small private investors can participate by purchasing new shares of European Sleeper.

London, 9th June 2022: Eliza was here is the new one-stop travel operator now available in the UK. The secluded sanctuary specialists, backed by Sunweb Group, offer unique, hand-picked destinations for small scale holidays across Greece and the Mediterranean.

Eliza was here made a splash at its Greek themed launch event yesterday, with special guests Tim van den Bergh, Managing Director, Eliza was here, and Eleni Skarveli, Director Greek National Tourist Office UK & Ireland. In the heart of Fitzrovia at Meraki, attendees were immersed in Greek food, wine and cocktails to get a taste of the Eliza experience. UK customers can book unique sunny escapes to one of 10 Greek destinations with Eliza, from Crete to Corfu. Why not turn in the opposite direction of tourist hotspots to stay in a Windmill complete with a peaceful pool?

As part of the international leading holiday experts, Sunweb Group, Eliza was here initially launched in 2001 in the Netherlands and has fast become the go-to holiday provider for unique, off the beaten track destinations across the Benelux region and Denmark.

With all-in-one packages available directly through the UK website, holidaymakers can conveniently book unique accommodation (from villas to boutique hotels or apartments), car hire and flights in one place. To help solo adventurers or friends looking for their next getaway, Eliza was here personally visits every location to give honest and authentic recommendations on places to stay that offer something a little different to standard hotels.

Tim van den Bergh, Managing Director at Eliza was here, says, “We are very excited to introduce the UK to Eliza was here and take new customers to new places that they would never have known about before. We love uncovering the best destinations to give people the trip of a lifetime and help people find what they weren’t looking for. We pride ourselves on that personal touch.”

ROTTERDAM, 9 June 2022 – Sunweb Group, parent company to travel organisations such as Sunweb, Eliza was here, GOGO and Primavera, has appointed Ruud Martens as its Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). As a member of the Board of Management, he will primarily focus on the implementation and further development of the travel company’s exciting expansion plans.

Earlier this year, Sunweb Group presented its ambitious growth strategy. It consists of a substantial revenue growth, launching new products, further personalisation, and more sustainable alternatives. For 2022, the goal is to give one million people a well-deserved holiday. Ruud Martens’ role, from 15 August 2022, will be crucial for these developments. “To realise our growth strategy, we need the best people at all levels of our organisation,” says Sunweb Group CEO Mattijs ten Brink. “In the role of Chief Commercial Officer, Ruud will lead our commercial teams and guide our international expansion. I am pleased that Ruud is joining our team; his expertise and network will certainly contribute to our organisation’s continued ambitions for expansion.”

Ruud Martens has extensive experience in business-to-consumer and e-commerce environments. As an entrepreneur, he successfully built companies such as independer.nl and, more recently, localroast.nl – both focused on excellent service and a seamless online experience. He will use this experience to support Sunweb Group in its growth: “I have always had a passion for innovation and exceptional customer experience, which is exactly what Sunweb Group stands for! The ambition to further grow this, internationally and for the various brands of one of Europe’s largest travel organisations, is a special challenge I am really looking forward to,” says Martens.

ROTTERDAM, 31 May 2022 – Sunweb Group, parent company to travel organisations such as Sunweb, Eliza was here, GOGO and Primavera, is making big strides in the effectuation of its growth strategy. Part of this strategy is the joint investment with its partners in sustainability and international expansion. The company aims to meet the modern holiday maker’s changing requirements and is increasing its offerings. Today, Sunweb Group is announcing an extension of its offering by train travel via Eliza was here and cruises under the Sunweb flag.

Mattijs ten Brink, CEO at Sunweb Group: “Because we, as a large travel organisation, are now offering train travel and cruises, we’re making this type of travel available for many more people; offering new, high-quality alternatives for holidaying abroad. In these new types of travel, we see great potential for growth of our organisation, but more importantly, we are now able to offer new and existing customers more opportunities. Holidays are becoming increasingly customised, and we are proud to offer our customer fresh, unique holiday memories. The rail holidays to Puglia are a first step; later this year we expect to be offering train travel to our winter sports destinations.”

Expanding the range and further internationalisation
The 12-day rail holiday, available via Eliza was here, brings travellers to Puglia in southern Italy. It is a pilot project starting in June, and is a way for Sunweb Group to ‘tempt’ travellers towards different, more sustainable ways of travel. The holiday starts in the Netherlands, in Amsterdam, Utrecht or Arnhem. After a two-day train journey via Basel and Milan, an electric rental car awaits travellers in Bari. Ready to bring them to two picturesque, unique and smalls-scale accommodations, which Eliza was here is known for.

Under the Sunweb flag, Sunweb Group is now offering cruise travel in conjunction with a select number of leading shipping companies. Sunweb will offer routes to a variety of destinations, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia and the Caribbean. In the last few years, ‘the digital holiday expert’ saw an increase in the demand for cruise travel. Growing numbers of people are considering it an ideal way of holidaying, and it is one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry. Moreover, it is a market that traditionally does a lot of its business offline, which means that online customers form a largely untapped market. Sunweb’s ambition, as a fully online player, is to gain a substantial market share within the cruise industry in a short time frame by deploying a solid e-commerce strategy.

Lastly, Sunweb Group has big international ambitions. Besides Sunweb ski holidays, Eliza was here is active in the UK market from 1 June 2022, offering small-scale holidays away from the crowd. As well as introducing existing products into new markets, Sunweb Group is looking at takeovers abroad to further accelerate growth.

Investing in more sustainable alternatives
A focus on sustainability is also part of what the modern traveller requires. Sunweb Group has decided to stop investing in CO2 compensation. Instead, Sunweb Group, together with its international partners, will invest in making its own offerings more sustainable. A recent example is the relative increase of sustainable aviation fuel SAF with Transavia. SAF is the most sustainable alternative for aviation fuel currently on the market; it emits at least 75% less CO2 than fossil kerosine. The aim is to increase SAF use year upon year.

Mattijs ten Brink: “We are continuously working with our partners on initiatives that contribute to a sustainable future. Compensating CO2 may not be as effective as we had hoped, so we have chosen to invest in other ways that have a positive impact – straight away as well as in the long term. We are looking to decrease our ecological footprint in the sky, and we support local initiatives that directly affect communities at our destinations.

Customers that have booked before 1 June 2022 who still want to compensate their holiday’s estimated CO2 emissions (journey, transfer and accommodation), can let their operator know, and Sunweb Group will ensure this is done.