How TUI survived the pandemic and emerged with a new brand look

Brian Carruthers

After coping with the difficulties of lockdowns, travel brand TUI has relaunched with a fresh brand identity for the post-pandemic world.

When a tidal wave of cancellations hit the travel industry during the first lockdown of 2020, there was chaos.

Assailed from all sides, the sector couldn’t cope with what was happening; stores were closed, staff were furloughed, customers wanted refunds, and the press coverage was often brutal.

“By the end of March, we were receiving a million-and-a-half calls per day to our contact centre,” recalled Katie McAlister, chief marketing officer for TUI UK & Ireland. For context, the brand would normally take about five million calls a year related to its holidays, cruises, flights, and so on.

“There was absolutely...

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