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.
Schiphol, 2 March 2021 – Sunweb Group and Transavia have strengthened their cooperation by signing a contract for a substantial number of seats for Sunweb holidays in the coming summer period. In addition, they are working on the development to set up a corona-free travel corridor from Schiphol Airport to Crete. The developments surrounding the vaccines and also the great desire of Dutch people to go on holiday again as soon as possible give both parties confidence that this summer travel will be possible again.
The corona-free travel corridor, to Crete in first instance, consists of a package holiday from Sunweb that involves flying with Transavia. During the holiday, travelers will be tested for the virus several times. Travelers also intend to stay mainly at their own resort where, of course, great attention is paid to distance and hygiene. Conversations with government and partners about the corona-free travel corridor are ongoing.
Both companies are confident that they can deliver beautiful holidays to their customers again this summer season and symbolize this confidence by letting a kite up. In addition to the purchase of a substantial number of seats per year, the success of the cooperation is mainly due to the total product that both companies can offer together. Particularly at this time, both parties believe that positivity and perspective are needed after a long period when hardly anything was possible and travel was often seen in a negative light because of corona. A corona-free corridor is the first step in that direction.
Mattijs ten Brink, CEO of Sunweb Group: ‘In a market that is in full swing, we are proud that our cooperation with Transavia, which has been successful for more than 20 years, offers Dutch holidaymakers the opportunity to discover beautiful destinations throughout Europe. We believe that everyone deserves a great holiday. We know how important it is to take the time to recharge, unwind and put everyday life on pause,’ said ten Brink.
Craving for travel
Marcel de Nooijer, CEO Transavia: ‘Our partners are important to us, together we can give a positive turn to this challenging period. For us, this kite is a symbol for starting to fly again soon, moreover this kite reaches higher with more headwind. We are therefore pleased that Sunweb Group has expressed its confidence in both the recovery of the travel sector as well as in our airline. We see that there is an enormous craving for travel. Passengers can’t wait to discover beautiful destinations again and to look forward to them together with their family or friends. This is also shown in research that we recently completed. Besides being able to embrace each other again, traveling is high on the wish list. It goes without saying that safe travel is an important condition, which is why we pay a lot of extra attention to this aspect.’
Safe travelling
Throughout the sector, safe travel is a top priority, and both parties are looking together how to further increase the safety around travel and the possibilities.These include more intensive testing and also continuing to call on the government for uniform European regulations. This will avoid ambiguities for passengers and prevent people from travelling via other countries. According to Transavia and Sunweb Group, this will benefit nobody, neither the traveler nor the Dutch travel sector.The call from both CEOs, is therefore to work together, throughout the industry, to ensure that we can once again offer our travelers the perspective of a holiday or other trip as soon as possible. This travel corridor to Crete will be a first beautiful and hopeful step in that direction.
Picture (can be published free of rights)
The photo shows Mattijs ten Brink, CEO Sunweb Group and Marcel de Nooijer, CEO Transavia. Together they let up a kite to symbolize their confidence in the coming summer season. In addition, both organizations want nothing more than to have their customers enjoy beautiful vacations again, if that is possible again.
Rotterdam, 1 February 2021 – Travel organization Sunweb Group has appointed Roel Wessels (37) as Director Intelligence as of February 1, 2021. In this newly created position, Wessels will contribute to the transformation of Sunweb Group into a data-driven organization where the customer will be even more central than before. Previously, Wessels was Director of Data & Insights at OYO Vacation Homes, where he worked amongst others for the international vacation home rental platform Belvilla. Before joining Belvilla in 2016, Wessels was a Data & Analytics Strategy Consultant at Deloitte Consulting in Amsterdam.
Under Wessels’ leadership, Sunweb Group’s ambition to digitally transform continues: “In the new strategy of Sunweb Group, Intelligence is a key strategic pillar and I am therefore very pleased that Roel Wessels, will join us as Director Intelligence. I am convinced that, under his leadership and with his experience, Sunweb Group will take the next steps in the field of Intelligence, so that we can realize our ambition to become the leading digital holiday expert”, says Brenda van Leeuwen, CDO of Sunweb Group.
Wessels will work with a team of data analysts, scientists and partners to develop a portfolio of strategic and operational data and analytics projects to develop cutting-edge personalized service offerings that match travelers’ behaviors and preferences. “I am thrilled to join Sunweb Group in this newly created position. Over the past four years at Belvilla, I have seen the tremendous opportunities that still exist in the travel and hospitality industry and have made an impact by developing the right analytical capabilities and learning the organization how to best utilize these. Although the global pandemic is still affecting the travel industry, I believe that the travel market will revive and we can once again take full advantage of the huge opportunities in intelligence and data science”, says Roel Wessels.
Today, tour operator Sunweb launches a campaign to draw attention to all employees at home and abroad that make holidays possible. Holidays are important to everyone. Not just for the travellers themselves, but also for the thousands of hard-working people at the destinations, who ensure everyone can enjoy an unforgettable holiday and create the greatest memories, is the reasoning behind the campaign.
Plan ahead for the summer
In today’s ‘Book your holiday with TUI’ advertisements in several newspapers in the Netherlands and Belgium, Sunweb calls on consumers to plan ahead for the summer holidays in 2021 and not mothball them. The travel and tourist industry have been hit hard by the corona pandemic and with this campaign the tour operator indicates that every booking now counts for the sector. The campaign is inspired by a recent ad by Burger King urging people to order from other fast-food chains as well.
Tim Van den Bergh, International Brand & Communications Director at Sunweb Group, comments on the campaign: “2020 was a tough year for the travel industry. Not just for Sunweb and other tour operators, but especially so for their local partners and the hard-working people at the many holiday destinations. Without them holidays are not possible and with this appeal we intend to offer them some positive prospects for the future. At the moment, travelling is simply not possible, or hardly possible, but there will be better days ahead when we are able again to enjoy their hospitality at the most wonderful destinations. There is nothing more fun than looking forward to a holiday, which is why planning your summer holiday now is not a bad idea, especially with all the flexibility currently offered by us as tour operators.”
Idea of the campaign
With full-page advertisements in several newspapers, consumers are urged to book their packaged holiday for summer 2021 with TUI, D-reizen, Zoover, Corendon, Eliza was here or another holiday specialist. In addition, social content has been developed to support the campaign online as well.
Example page full story: https://www.sunweb.be/nl/boek-bij-tui/english
Since 2016, Sunweb and the team had a partnership for indefinite time and were very close partners. Unexpectedly, the year 2020 turned out to be a crossroads. COVID-19 changed daily reality and hit the travel industry hard. To secure their future and realize their ambition to become the leading digital holiday expert, Sunweb Group needs to fully focus on their customers, business partners and employees. Therefore, Sunweb Group has made the decision that while they will remain a partner of the team as it keeps building towards its dream, after 2020 the team will no longer be named Team Sunweb.
Proud of their accomplishments
During the Andorra rest day of the 2016 Tour de France, Sunweb announced their new role as the team’s title partner and an ambitious goal. ‘2000 Tage zur Spitze’ was the idea of taking a new generation of young riders to the highest level of pro cycling in 2000 days. Team Sunweb succeeded. This latest season was filled with highlights from many riders who have grown through the development team to the WorldTour program. Some of them already became new stars in the peloton. Team Sunweb was an animated force in the Tour de France and stole the hearts of many fans with a racing style that combined both passion and intelligence. The Women’s program was also in winning form – who could forget the incredible double podium at the Giro d’Italia?!
Team Sunweb becomes Team DSM
From the 2021 season onwards, Team Sunweb will become Team DSM. Royal DSM is a globally based company active in nutrition, health and sustainable living. This team will build on the existing innovation partnership with DSM, which has grown over the past five years. “The team was and is like our child,” said Tim van den Bergh, International Director Brand & Communications of Sunweb Group. “The good news is that they will continue their journey thanks to a lead strategic partnership with Royal DSM. Sunweb, however, will also remain involved with the team. For example, we are looking into the possibility of relaunching cycling holidays with their support. ”
Great memories and a #keepchallenging spirit
“For many of us, it has been a privilege to work with the team and on this project,” added Mattijs ten Brink, CEO of Sunweb Group. “We have had great seasons together – and not just in terms of results and exposure. There was always a positive vibe around the whole team. We can only be proud and thankful for its great achievements. Team Sunweb contributed to the growth of Sunweb as a brand and as an organization. Their successes created great memories. We will take their ‘#keepchallenging-spirit’ with us, as well as their mantra: ‘use every day to learn in order to get better the next day’.”
Further to the announcement on June 3, 2019 that Sunweb Group had entered into an agreement to acquire Corendon tour operating activities in the Netherlands and Belgium, the back-office in Turkey and Corendon Dutch Airlines (“Corendon”), Sunweb today confirms that it will not pursue the acquisition and has terminated the SPA in accordance with its terms. The reason is that the requirements to complete the transaction were incapable of being completed by the long-stop date. Sunweb Group and Corendon will continue as two separate companies with different shareholders.
“We regret to make this announcement as Sunweb Group has invested significant time and resources into making this transaction happen. As the long-stop date of the sale and purchase agreement came due without all requirements being satisfied, we terminated the transaction,” says Mattijs ten Brink, CEO of the Sunweb Group.
The Sellers of Corendon have challenged Sunweb Group’s decision and the case will now be reviewed by the District Court of Amsterdam. Sunweb Group is confident in its legal position and is only issuing this statement to ensure accurate and factual information as the legal proceedings will become public.
COVID-19 has had significant impact on the entire travel industry. Sunweb Group is affected but benefits from its asset light business model, a mix between ski- and sun holidays and low fixed costs, as it does not own aircrafts or hotels, and sells its packages directly to consumers online. These characteristics, in combination with strong partnerships and continued support from its shareholders and lenders, ensure that Sunweb Group stands strong despite the difficult market circumstances.
Mattijs ten Brink: “With the termination of the deal, both organizations can fully focus on their respective key priorities. In the current crisis, and as a responsible digital holiday expert, Sunweb Group will stay committed to its customers and the promises made. At the same time we will continue to secure the health and safety of our passengers so they can enjoy their future holidays without concerns. As an organization we will use the current period to accelerate our digital agenda. I am pleased that our lenders and shareholders are supportive to take us through this crisis, even as the COVID-19 crisis is likely to drag out.”
Sunweb Group is making this announcement now since the initiation of injunction proceedings by the Sellers of Corendon will make the situation public. Sunweb Group therefore wants to inform its stakeholders transparently.
Zürich, June 20, 2020 – The Flemish singer Kate Ryan, known for hits like Désenchantée and Ella Elle L’a, today launches a modern cover of Madonna’s summer classic “Holiday”. The new version was recorded in collaboration with travel agency Sunweb Group as part of its as part of its campaign to celebrate June 20th as the International Day of Holidays, the date that travellers are allowed to go on holiday again.
Stream via Spotify and Apple Music, among others
The new song Holiday can be listened to via Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Soundcloud and YouTube Music from today. The song was produced in collaboration with record company Spinnin ‘Records.
“We need a holiday!”
Talking about the launch of the cover, Kate Ryan said, “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been a fan of Madonna. So making a version of one of her songs was a special challenge! My record company, Spinnin Records, put me in touch with the right producers and soon we had a version that really sounded right. ”
“We now have the opportunity to share the entire song, and Sunweb Group’s International Day of Holidays is the perfect moment. The lyrics could not be more applicable right now. We all need a break, in complete freedom, without rules and full of fun! We need a holiday!” Says Kate.
About the collaboration with Kate Ryan, Tim van den Bergh CCO of Sunweb Group said: “Kate’s song fits perfectly with the positive message we are sending on this International Day of Holidays. We see the campaign as a new beginning and look forward to a summer full of holiday fun. Not just for the Dutch, but for travellers all over the world. ”
About International Day of Holidays
Summer enthusiasts are invited to celebrate the day with the hashtag #jointhecelebration. A special promotion page and a social toolkit have been developed for this. Summer playlists can be listened to on Spotify with songs chosen by travellers that evoke holiday memories. In addition to travellers, Sunweb Group is also callings on the travel industry to celebrate this day with them using the hashtag #jointhecelebration.
Click on this link to watch the music video:
Do you want to see Kate Ryan sing her song “Holiday” live? Tonight at 20:00 there is a live stream with DJ Licious on the Sunweb Facebook page.
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About Sunweb Group
Sunweb Group is one of Europe’s largest travel companies, with a turnover of more 600 million euros. The company is the driving force behind brands operating across seven international markets: the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, the UK, Germany and France. Sunweb is the group’s most well-known brand.
Sunweb is a fully fledged online player with package holidays to sun and winter sports destinations.
Sunweb Group employs approximately 500 people and sends more than 400 tour guides and area managers to assorted holiday destinations in support of its customers. Sunweb Group has a pan-European identity with tour activities in Zurich (headquarters), Rotterdam (back office), Girona (software and web development) and several locations across Europe. The combination of a centralized organization, unique self-contracted content and a strong online business model results in more than one million satisfied Sunweb Group customers every year. Sunweb Group was acquired by Triton Fund V in February of 2019.
Press contact Sunweb Group:
Zürich, June 18, 2020 – After months of uncertainty, tour operator Sunweb Group * is celebrating the restart of the holiday season with a new campaign. Saturday, June 20 – the beginning of summer – will be renamed International Day of Holidays by the travel company.
Positive message for the traveller
Sunweb Group will start taking people on holidays again on Friday 19 June, one day before the summer officially start, the perfect time to celebrate the fact that travellers can go on holiday again.
Tim van den Bergh, CCO of Sunweb Group explains the campaign: “With The International Day of Holidays we want to send a positive message to everyone who loves to travel. As a travel organization, we think it is important to show that we can still welcome everyone to the most beautiful locations. ” The campaign was launched with SPARK, the internal Sunweb Group Agency. “We see the campaign as a new beginning and are looking forward to a great summer. This is not just for the Dutch, but for travellers all over the world. ”
Co-creative campaign
With the hashtag #jointhecelebration, holiday enthusiasts are invited to celebrate that day – June 20th. A special action page and a social toolkit have been developed especially for this. Various playlists are available on Spotify with songs from travellers that bring back holiday memories and on the International Day of Holidays itself a musical surprise will be revealed via Sunweb Group’s social channels.
Broadly supported initiative
In addition to travellers, Sunweb Group also calls on the travel industry to celebrate this day with them using the hashtag #jointhecelebration. The initiative is widely supported by several partners of Sunweb Group as well as other agencies from different countries. Many popular holiday destinations, including Gran Canaria, Greece, Portugal, Tunisia and Tenerife, are already participating in the initiative.
* Sunweb Group in the Netherlands includes the brands Sunweb, Eliza was here, Primavera and Gogo.
About Sunweb Group
Sunweb Group is one of Europe’s largest travel companies, with a turnover of more 600 million euros. The company is the driving force behind brands operating across seven international markets: the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, the UK, Germany and France. Sunweb is the group’s most well-known brand.
Sunweb is a fully fledged online player with package holidays to sun and winter sports destinations.
Sunweb Group employs approximately 500 people and sends more than 400 tour guides and area managers to assorted holiday destinations in support of its customers. Sunweb Group has a pan-European identity with tour activities in Zurich (headquarters), Rotterdam (back office), Girona (software and web development) and several locations across Europe. The combination of a centralized organization, unique self-contracted content and a strong online business model results in more than one million satisfied Sunweb Group customers every year. Sunweb Group was acquired by Triton Fund V in February of 2019.
Press contact Sunweb Group: