TUI UK and Ireland are delighted to announce that Crystal Ski Holidays, the UK’s largest ski holiday specialist, and Thomson Lakes & Mountains will become part of its business with immediate effect.

· Move follows announcement that TUI Group is preparing to dispose of its Specialist Holiday Group business
· Crystal Ski Holidays and Thomson Lakes & Mountains will become part of TUI UK and Ireland, alongside well-known holiday brands, Thomson and First Choice

The ski giant is currently part of TUI’s Specialist Holiday Group, which TUI Group confirmed today it is preparing to dispose of. However, Crystal Ski Holidays and Thomson Lakes & Mountains will not form part of the disposal, and the well-known brands will have a new home within existing TUI UK and Ireland business operations alongside Thomson and First Choice.

With decades of experience delivering outstanding holiday experiences to the world’s best ski resorts in Europe and North America, today Crystal customers have the choice of over 130 ski resorts with departures from 21 airports in the UK and Ireland. Thomson Lakes & Mountains customers can explore Europe’s sights, scents and sounds in a beautiful selection of resorts, from the towns and villages around Lake Garda to Austrian hideaways and must-see European cities.

Both brands are exciting additions to the TUI UK and Ireland portfolio, and will benefit from investment to accelerate growth and develop new and unique products. The integration of Crystal Ski Holidays into the TUI UK and Ireland business will also lead to opportunities to internationalise the much-loved brand across other TUI markets.

Tamsin Todd, Ski & Lakes Managing Director will continue to lead her team of experts to deliver memorable holidays for customers through the 16/17 season and beyond. She will report to Andrew Flintham, Commercial Director for TUI UK&I.

Todd said of the move, “Joining the TUI UK and Ireland family marks a new, exciting era for our business. We have evolved Crystal over the last 35 years, working with Thomson Airways to take more customers from all over the UK and Ireland to a huge range of destinations, and providing exciting holiday experiences for our customers through our expert staff and market-leading mobile technology and service. This new chapter will provide a firm platform for innovation and growth, and superb career opportunities for our staff.”

Nick Longman, Managing Director of TUI UK & Ireland said: “Crystal and Thomson Lakes & Mountains is already a very successful business within TUI’s Specialist Holiday Group and a very welcome addition to our brand portfolio in the UK. We already have a very good understanding of the business as we take many of their customers away on Thomson Airways and I believe the integration of the brands into a business of our size and scale will not only help to fast track growth but deliver even more exciting ski and lake and mountain holidays to top resorts.”