Schiphol, Thursday 18 November 2021- As of this summer, Transavia and Sunweb Group will open a new route to Ponto Delgada on the Azores. Sunweb Group and Transavia will discover this new destination together and thus strengthen their cooperation. The first flight will be on 24 April 2022 and will operate weekly on Sundays.

The Azores, with its nine islands, are located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and have an unprecedented beauty. With a climate that is almost always mild and pleasant. The Azores are not very touristy yet and therefore an ideal holiday destination for adventurers and nature lovers. The Dutch have a great need for holidays and together with family and friends they want to discover beautiful and new destinations. The Azores fit in well with this.

Mattijs ten Brink, CEO of Sunweb Group: ‘The Azores are a beautiful destination which will be offered by both Sunweb and Eliza was here by the end of April. We are proud that, together with our new partners on the Azores, we can offer our customers a well-deserved holiday on this new destination. The cooperation with Transavia gives Dutch people the opportunity to discover beautiful holiday destinations within the whole of Europe.’

‘Through this great partnership with Sunweb Group we offer, a yet to be discovered, beautiful holiday destination to our passengers. It is a rich addition to the wide range of destinations with which we proudly and enthusiastically connect people every day.’ Marcel de Nooijer, CEO of Transavia.

Rotterdam, 18 October 2021 – Today, travel company Sunweb Group received the Travelife certificate, the leading international sustainability certificate for the travel industry. Sunweb Group achieved the highest status: Travelife Certified. Only a few travel organizations are recognized at this high level.

Sunweb Group believes that everyone deserves a well-deserved holiday. However, the company is also well aware of the impact that holidays can have. The travel organization strives to offer its customers an unforgettable holiday that has a minimal impact on the environment, the climate and the local population.

Mattijs ten Brink, CEO of Sunweb Group, explains: “We are very pleased to have been awarded the highest Travelife certificate. The certification shows that, as a travel organization, we hold sustainable tourism to be of the utmost importance and take people, the environment and society into account, as well as our partners at the destinations. We know that we are still at the beginning of our sustainability journey, but we are convinced that we can make a serious difference by finding a better balance between the positive effects of holidays abroad and the negative impact of travel. We see it as our responsibility to increase support for sustainable tourism. Along with our (international) partners, customers and employees, we undertake a wide range of activities that contribute to this.”

Mr Naut Kusters, manager of Travelife for tour operators: “I am delighted to see that sustainability in the tour operators’ sector is obtaining momentum. The award of the front runner Sunweb Group GmbH will inspire other companies in Europe to follow the same path.”

255 criteria for certification
Travelife is an internationally recognized (by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)) certification program, specializing in sustainable management for the travel industry. To receive its certification, Sunweb Group was assessed by an independent auditor on some 255 points. These criteria include the travel organization’s office, product range and partners.

More information about the sustainability initiatives of Sunweb Group can be found via this link.

Rotterdam, 3 August 2021 –The Amsterdam Court of Appeal rejected today all of Corendon’s claims and ruled in favor of Sunweb Group on all points. Sunweb Group does not have to pursue its acquisition of Corendon

Following the decision, Sunweb Group can once again focus on the future and its new dynamic strategy that was launched earlier this year. “First of all, we are pleased that this court case has come to an end so that there is clarity for our employees and the employees of Corendon. The ruling does not come as a surprise as we have always been confident in our legal position. We are however pleased that the Court of Appeal now also confirmed this view and ruled in our favor today. Finally, we can again fully focus on what we love most: making our customers happy with a well-deserved holiday.” said Mattijs ten Brink, CEO of Sunweb Group.

As a standalone company, Sunweb Group has taken all required actions to ensure success going forward. Ten Brink: “Despite this severe crisis, that keeps on evolving into new challenges, we will continue to invest in becoming the leading digital holiday expert. All this with the continued support of our shareholders and lenders, and in close and active dialogue with our loyal Sunweb customers”.

Rotterdam, 26 April 2021 – The holiday pilot organized by Sunweb Group and Transavia, in cooperation with Mitsis Hotels at the request of the Dutch government, has been successfully completed. All 188 guests and 100 hotel employees finished the holiday pilot healthy and safe. The parties hope it will send an optimistic message to the world about a safe restart of tourism in Europe.

On 12 April, 188 guests were warmly welcomed by the staff of Mitsis Grand Hotel, the only 5-star ultra-all-inclusive hotel by the sea in historic Rhodes. The holiday pilot was supported by the Greek government and all of the relevant authorities in the Netherlands and Greece. In addition to this support, excellent cooperation between Transavia, HCC, Travel Exchange, Mitsis Hotels and Sunweb contributed to the successful execution of this holiday pilot.

Concept of the holiday pilot
At the request of the Dutch government, Sunweb and Transavia organised an 8-day all-inclusive holiday pilot to Rhodes. The aim of this pilot was to gain insights and data on the conditions under which people can safely and responsibly go on holiday. The research focuses on compliance with basic measures, testing and quarantine measures. This is done by conducting several anonymous surveys and by carrying out observations and interviews at the resort in Rhodes. The results of the observations and interviews are processed anonymously. Travellers were aware that this research was carried out and agreed to it when they confirmed their registration for the trip.

A partnership based on history
Sunweb Group chose Mitsis Hotels because of their many years of successful collaboration. The safety protocols that Sunweb Group and Transavia drew up with the Dutch government have been implemented very well by Mitsis Hotels. Mattijs ten Brink, CEO of Sunweb Group, said: “The safety of our travellers is always the most important aspect. We are pleased that all participants returned to the Netherlands in good health. This holiday pilot is so much more than an important step forward for the Dutch travel sector. This pilot is also important for all of our partners at our destinations. Like Mitsis Hotels, they invested heavily last year and can use the new insights gained from the pilot to make the final preparations for a summer full of satisfied holidaymakers.”

Reinoud Koot, Sun Director of Sunweb Group, attended the holiday pilot and said: “The quality, service and hospitality of Mitsis Hotels are of a high standard and our guests were able to experience that last week. The reactions of our guests were very positive, and, despite the limitations, everyone enjoyed a wonderful holiday. I would like to thank Mitsis Hotels, the Greek local authorities and Travel Exchange for the successful cooperation”.

A detailed health and safety plan
The highest priority for Mitsis Hotels is the health and safety of its guests, which is why the company had already drawn up a detailed action plan and operational protocols. Each staff member underwent PCR testing before the start and at the end of the programme. Stavros Mitsis, Managing Director of Mitsis Hotels Group, adds: “The success of the project contributes to the emergence of our country as a safe holiday destination, as well as marking the beginning of the tourist season and the gradual return to normality. I would like to thank the Ministry of Tourism, the Region of South Aegean, the Municipality of Rhodes & the National Public Health Organization (EODY) for their significant support, our long-time partner Sunweb Group for the flawless cooperation and, of course, the entire team of Mitsis Hotels for the excellent management & service for our guests. We are looking forward to welcoming you all back to one of our 17 unique destinations in Greece”.

PCR and rapid tests
The holiday pilot test was performed with detailed safety protocols that were approved by the Dutch RIVM. The protocols included PCR and rapid tests before, during and after the trip, with all required protective measures being followed. Specifically, the testing procedure for the 187 selected guests was as follows:

The Dutch government will soon announce the results and valuable insights of the holiday pilot.

Schiphol, 12 April 2021 – As part of the government’s “Safe and responsible travelling during corona” pilot programme, the first pilot flight of holidaymakers, offered by Transavia and Sunweb, took off from Schipol this afternoon. The enthusiastic passengers, who were selected from amongst more than 25,000 applicants, left for an eight-day all-inclusive holiday at the Mitsis Grand Beach hotel on the island of Rhodes. This pilot programme is the first step towards gaining the perspective that will allow them to offer the Dutch public a summer season full of lovely holidays. The goal of the pilot programme is to gain new insights into the conditions that will allow people to go on holiday safely and responsibly.

After a rapid corona test at the Sheraton Hotel, it was time for the passengers to check in with Transavia. They headed for the gate together from passport control. Everything went smoothly as planned, and the passengers adhered to safety regulations, including maintaining a 1.5-metre distance, wearing masks and boarding at the gate in order.

“In the end, we are jointly responsible for flying and travelling safely”, says Marcel de Nooijer, CEO of Transavia. “We are pleased to carry out this first real holiday flight with Sunweb. It’s important that the government maintains an unambiguous European policy, so it’s clear to everyone which colour codes apply to which country or area and which measures and restrictions apply to each destination. We have every confidence that these arrangements will be made and that the upscaling of vaccination will allow us to use all of our capacity this summer to get our passengers to their destinations.”

Mattijs ten Brink, CEO of Sunweb Group, adds: “You could feel the energy in the departure hall; these holidaymakers were so thrilled to be able to go on holiday again. I’m also enormously proud that the government placed its faith in us to organise this holiday pilot programme with Transavia. It’s an important step forwards, not just for the Dutch travel sector but also for all of our partners at our destinations. They invested heavily last year, and, with the new insights provided by the pilot, they can make the final preparations for a summer full of happy holidaymakers.”

It goes without saying that the insights from this pilot will be shared with the entire sector, so all travel industry partners can make use of it. The two organisations want nothing more than to offer clear information to both the entire sector and to all Dutch people longing to travel again. Sunweb and Transavia’s holiday pilot programme is being evaluated by an independent agency.

Images and videos of the holiday pilot
On a daily basis, Sunweb will share copyright free photos and videos of the holiday pilot via their Instagram account and via this link. 

Sunweb package holidays can now also be booked via a link to sunweb.be on the Brussels Airlines website. Sunweb and Brussels Airlines have worked together before, but it is a first for the airline to link to Sunweb’s package holiday offer, composed and sold by Sunweb. The two companies are highlighting the far-reaching flexibility they are offering together.

Due to the continuing uncertainty caused by the coronavirus, consumers expect and value flexibility, security and guarantees. With the money-back guarantee and rebooking guarantee, Sunweb offers a package holiday that meets the demand of the customer. The money-back guarantee comes into effect when there is a negative travel advice because of COVID-19. Rebooking to another date and/or destination is possible free of charge, up to 6 weeks prior to departure.

“I am pleased that Brussels Airlines can take its longstanding strategic partner agreement with Tour Operator Sunweb to the next level. By adding a webpage “package tours” on brusselsairlines.com, which links to the Sunweb website, we can offer great added value to our customers.” Frederic Dechamps – Senior Director Sales Belgium – Lufthansa Group

Tim van den Bergh, International Director Brand & Communications of Sunweb Group: “In a market that is in a state of flux, I am proud to further strengthen our partnership with Brussels Airlines. The partnership gives Belgian holidaymakers the opportunity to discover beautiful destinations across Europe. With the far-reaching flexibility that we jointly offer, we want to give our customers the confidence to book. We believe that everyone deserves a nice vacation, because it is important to recharge, to relax and to put daily life on hold for a while’.

On the new Sunweb webpage, more than 1000 sun vacations can be found, to among others Portugal, Greece, Spain and Italy, but also ski vacations are part of the offer. The vacations offered by Sunweb are CO2-neutral and include a guarantee of repatriation.

Rotterdam, 25 March – Dutch people are craving for a holiday, according to the more than 17.000 registrations for the Sunweb and Transavia holiday pilot. Shortly after the announcement of the holiday pilot on Tuesday evening, there were already more than 6,000 curious visitors on our website www.sunweb.nl and on Wednesday we received a lot of questions through all our own channels.

Number of registrations
On Wednesday 24 March at 6pm, the registration form went live on sunweb.nl for the first vacation pilot on 12 April to the Greek island of Rhodes. In just one evening, more than 17.000 holidaymakers registered for the all-inclusive package holiday to the luxury resort Hotel Mitsis Grand Beach. 

Clarity
Mattijs ten Brink, CEO Sunweb Group, explains: “We are extremely proud to be able to take this first step together with Transavia for and on behalf of the entire travel industry. The fact that there are already so many registrations exceeds our expectations. We have already learned one thing. Namely, that as long as there is clarity, people accept the safety measures and start booking a holiday. At the same time, it is a very strong confirmation that not only the travel industry is craving for perspective, but all Dutch people can no longer wait.”

Selection
Based on all the registrations, Sunweb makes a first selection which meets the criteria set by the Dutch government for the target group. This target group consists of Dutch citizens between 18 and 70 years old, excluding people who belong to the increased risk group. After that, we look at who registered first. But since the registration form was not immediately shown to some interested holidaymakers due to the large number of visitors, a small group of people will be selected by an independent notary. The selected guests will then be contacted personally by Sunweb to go through all the information and guidelines. Ten Brink: “We want to thank all the people who have registered enormously. Unfortunately we now only have one plane to fill, but I am confident that this summer we will be able to provide beautiful holidays again together with our partners at the destinations.“

Rotterdam, 29 maart 2021 – Reisorganisatie Eliza was here, specialist in het aanbieden van kleinschalige en unieke vakantieaccommodaties, breidt haar aanbod uit met acht accommodaties in Frankrijk. Daarmee is Frankrijk het achtste land waar Eliza was here kleinschalige ‘weg van de massa’-vakanties aanbiedt. Vanaf vandaag kunnen reizigers een vakantie boeken naar acht van de mooiste plekjes van Frankrijk, waaronder een charmante wijnboerderij en een romantisch chateau.

Het liefst met de auto
De reisorganisatie was al actief in Griekenland, Italië, Cyprus, Malta, Spanje, Portugal en sinds vorig jaar Nederland, en voegt daar nu dus voor het eerst Frankrijk aan toe. Voorlopig worden deze vakanties in Frankrijk aangeboden met eigen vervoer. Reizigers kunnen dus zelf kiezen of ze met eigen auto willen reizen of met een andere manier van vervoer. Eliza was here speelt hiermee in op de wensen van de Nederlandse vakantieganger. Volgens onderzoek van GfK, in opdracht van reisbrancheorganisatie ANVR, zegt 84 procent van de consumenten deze zomer op vakantie te willen ondanks eventuele coronamaatregelen. Maar liefst 31 procent zegt daarbij te kiezen voor een autovakantie binnen Europa. Eigen onderzoek* van Eliza was here laat zien dat maar liefst de helft de auto kiest voor hun volgende zonvakantie. Met de toevoeging van de bestemming Frankrijk voorziet de reisorganisatie klanten dus zo goed mogelijk in hun behoefte.

Yuri Deutekom, director Eliza was here, vertelt: “We zijn erg blij dat we deze Franse accommodaties, in zes verschillende regio’s, aan ons aanbod kunnen toevoegen. Het is wel duidelijk dat de Nederlander snakt naar een vakantie na dit eindeloze coronajaar. We merken dat er meer behoefte is aan kleinschaligheid en dat het concept van Eliza was here populairder is dan ooit. De mogelijkheid om zelf te kunnen rijden, met de veiligheid van een eigen auto en het gemak van een eigen ritme, is een grote plus in tijden van corona. Daarnaast bieden we een geldteruggarantie en financiële zekerheid door het SGR Garantiefonds. Tot slot kunnen reizigers zelfs online doktersadvies op locatie krijgen, dankzij de Vakantiedokter-functie in onze app.”

Droombestemming
De nieuwe vakantieadressen zijn acht bijzondere accommodaties zoals een sfeervolle villa in Les Forges en een voormalig klooster in de Côte d’Azur. “Frankrijk is een lang gekoesterde droombestemming van onze klanten”, aldus Deutekom. “We zijn trots en blij om die dromen uit te kunnen laten komen vanaf vandaag.”

Deze acht accommodaties zijn vanaf vandaag te boeken:

Rotterdam, 23 March 2021 – As part of the government pilot ‘Safe and responsible travel during corona’, Sunweb and Transavia have been given the green light for a trial holiday to Rhodes. This pilot is the first step towards a perspective on how the Dutch can enjoy beautiful holidays again this summer season. The pilot aims to gain new (behavioural) insights and collect data on the conditions under which people can go on holiday safely and responsibly.

Together with trade association ANVR, the organizations have been working for some time to prepare for the first holiday pilot on April 12. The holiday includes an eight-day all-inclusive package holiday to the Greek island, Rhodes, operated by Sunweb and Transavia. Frank van Oostdam, director of ANVR, expresses his confidence in the results of this pilot. “The Dutch are eager to travel abroad again and equally, travel organizations are enthusiastic to provide those holidays. But it must be safe and ‘corona proof’. I have full confidence that this initiative will demonstrate we can go on holiday safely and with complete peace of mind.”

In a holiday bubble
In this pilot, travellers can enjoy their holiday in a “bubble” at the luxury resort Hotel Mitsis Grand Beach. This resort will be open exclusively to Sunweb and Transavia holidaymakers, meaning there will be no other guests present besides the hotel staff. All facilities at the resort will be open to ensure an entire holiday experience. In addition to respecting the existing corona measures, holidaymakers will not be allowed to leave the resort for the duration of their holiday. Throughout the booking process, as well as during, before and after the holiday, all travellers will be in close contact with the tour operator, Sunweb. Travellers will be required to take a corona test prior to their holiday and present a negative PCR test when checking into the hotel. Before their return journey, a PCR test will again be taken at the hotel. All holiday makers will be required to quarantine for ten days upon their return home, with a new PCR test taken on day five.

Confidence
Mattijs ten Brink, CEO of Sunweb Group: “Obviously I am pleased with the holiday pilot. The travel industry is craving for a concrete date on when we will be able to travel again. Holidays are high on everyone’s wish list and the need for a holiday is only increasing. Holidays are the perfect time to recharge, unwind and put your hectic life on pause. That’s why we think everyone deserves a great holiday. I remain confident that this is why we will be able to go on holiday again soon.” Marcel de Nooijer, CEO of Transavia: “We are pleased to be able to do our ‘bit’ at this time to ensure we gain experience in the travel sector and learn through cooperation to put a positive spin on this drastic period. Together with the ANVR, Corendon, TUI and Sunweb, this holiday travel pilot enables us to collect valuable data so that together we can make it possible to go on holiday safely again. And, of course, these insights will be shared with the entire sector so that all partners in the travel industry can make use of them. Together, we want nothing more than to give the entire sector and all Dutch people who want to travel again a positive outlook.”

Register for the pilot
Interested people who crave for sun, sea and sand can register via the website www.sunweb.nl from Wednesday, March 24, 18:00 hours. Based on all the registrations, Sunweb will manually select the 189 holidaymakers who meet the criteria set by the Dutch government for the target group. This target group consists of various age groups, excluding high-risk patients. The selected guests will then personally be contacted by Sunweb via telephone to discuss all information and guidelines.

The success of the pilot
The holiday pilot will be considered a success if the number of infections is zero. This does not mean that travel restrictions can necessarily be relaxed as a result of such a low number of infections. But is the first step towards achieving this. The holiday pilot will only be carried out if it is considered safe by the RIVM. The government can ‘press’ the emergency button at any time if there are extremely high numbers of infections or signs of worrying variants at the destination. The pilot holiday will then be cancelled. The Sunweb and Transavia holiday pilot is being evaluated by an independent agency.

Rotterdam, 20 March 2021 – Can we take a holiday? Anyone who opens a Dutch newspaper this weekend will find a page with huge letters splashed across it that read: magikalopvakantie.nl. It translates to CanWeTakeaHoliday.com and there’s also an English landing page for the URL. On popular radio station Qmusic, a 10-second spot set in a departure hall broadcasts the URL. The questioner is unidentified, but everyone knows the answer to the question. The website immediately makes it clear that you can’t go on holiday yet. You can, however, start counting down to your next holiday, one that that many people are eagerly looking forward to. Travel company Sunweb Group is behind the campaign. The bottom of the website is signed with all their brands, but the following text appears above it:  

Can We Take a Holiday? 
No, not yet … 

but you can start counting down to your next holiday… 

​ You can’t pack up and leave tomorrow, but you can book a holiday with your favourite travel company. You can start the clock on your own anticipation and get everyone at the destination preparing for your arrival. Everyone deserves a great holiday because it’s important to take a break… now more than ever. A holiday can help you recharge, get away from the daily grind and come home with beautiful memories that will last a lifetime. 

Mattijs ten Brink, CEO of Sunweb Group, explains the idea behind the website: “Holidays are high on everyone’s 2021 wish list, and the need for a holiday is only increasing. Holidays are a time to recharge, unwind and take a break from your daily life. We believe that everyone deserves a great holiday, and our wide portfolio means we can offer everyone a holiday that meets their personal needs. I am confident that we all will be able to go on holiday again soon. That’s another reason why we created this website: to keep everyone informed about the current travel advice.”  

Sunweb Group knows that travelling is currently extremely limited or flat out impossible. The campaign is intended to give people perspective, reminding them of the upcoming time when we can all enjoy legendary hospitality at the most beautiful holiday spots. There’s nothing so wonderful as anticipating a holiday. It’s a good idea to start planning one, especially given the flexibility, guarantees and service that travel companies are offering.