Delivery and quality of new digital products and services are key for transformation into global digital travel and leisure platform company.
PORTO / HANOVER – TUI Group has opened a “Digital Hub” in the Portuguese city of Porto. The hub will strengthen TUI’s tech capabilities which are key to its transformation towards a global digital travel and leisure platform company. 150 technology experts will work on the company’s mobile app, payment systems and drive the implementation of artificial intelligence powered technologies across its platforms. TUI CEO Sebastian Ebel welcomed the teams to TUI at the Porto office personally on Monday. The “Digital Hub Porto” is part of a network of locations offering tech talent an opportunity to work on the future of tourism, with hubs in Poland and India previously established by TUI. “Digital Hub” teams are joining the more than 2,400 technology team members working at TUI today.
“We have a longstanding and successful partnership with Portugal as a popular travel destination for our customers. Hotels, flights, cruises, tours and activities – TUI is present here with its full portfolio. Now we are expanding our footprint in Portugal by opening the “Digital Hub Porto”, with teams that bring a wealth of technology experience and creativity to TUI. They strengthen our own tech capabilities. Delivering new digital products and services for our customers while ensuring high quality standards is key for our transformation. Portugal is proving that it is not only a beautiful travel destination, but also a digital innovation center where we can help build the future of tourism,” says TUI Group´s CEO Sebastian Ebel on the occasion of the opening of the “Digital Hub Porto”.
TUI plans to hire more team members in Porto in the coming months. Current plans see up to 200 technology experts working at the “Digital Hub Porto” by the end of 2024. The tourism company has an ambitious technology roadmap to unify its platforms, increase the implementation of artificial intelligence technologies, and build new digital products for customers. All of these initiatives will be supported by teams in Porto, which are fully integrated within the global technology organisation of TUI, offering employees the chance to build industry leading products and platforms, in combination with unique development and career opportunities.
“We are delighted with TUI Group’s decision to setup its new Digital Hub in Matosinhos, (Porto, Portugal), a new investment in the tech sector supported by AICEP. The focus on innovation that the Digital Hub will bring to the IT ecosystem and to TUI Group’s global operations reflect Portugal’s commitment to strengthen its position as a leading European Tech Hub,” says Filipe Santos Costa, Chairman & CEO of AICEP – Portugal Trade & Investment Agency.
In 2017, TUI and IT service provider COCUS established a partnership to deliver a Software Development Hub in Portugal, supporting TUI’s digital transformation. Over the past 5 years, both parties have collaborated extensively to make a significant impact on the business. TUI and COCUS now agreed to transfer this hub to become a part of the TUI organisation as “Digital Hub”. The agreement has been signed recently.
TUI in Portugal
TUI has three of its hotel and club brands – TUI Blue, RIU, Robinson Club – present in Portugal today. Furthermore, travelers and locals alike in Portugal can choose from more than 1,250 experiences, including excursions, activities and attraction tickets, available via the TUI experiences and Musement platforms. TUI Airline operates regular flights to holiday hotspots in Portugal, while TUI Cruises, Marella and Hapag-Lloyd, all three of the company’s cruise brands, call at Portuguese ports throughout the year. Furthermore, to support guests and partners in destination, TUI employs a dedicated service team, with offices in Faro, Funchal, Lisbon and Ponta Delgada.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
