World News

Tourism giant TUI suspends most operations on virus fears

German tourism giant TUI said it was suspending the “majority” of its operations over coronavirus fears, and made a request for state aid. In a press release, the group, which employs 70,000 people worldwide, said the move would affect its “package travel, cruises and hotel operations”.

Hannover-based TUI has a presence in over 100 countries and operates a host of airlines, cruise ships and hundreds of hotels. The firm was taking “substantial cost measures” to mitigate the effect on its earnings, adding that it would apply for state aid guarantees “to support the business until normal operations are resumed”.

German tourism giant TUI

It also said it was withdrawing its profit forecast for the current financial year. Berlin on Friday promised “unlimited” credit to help companies hit by the coronavirus pandemic as part of postwar Germany’s biggest help package worth at least 550 billion euros.

 

The package, even in its first stage, is bigger than the 500 billion-euro help offered by the German government during the 2008 financial crisis.

For 2018-19, TUI reported net profit attributable to shareholders of 416 million euros ($462 million), down 42.8 percent on 2017-18. With the virus infecting nearly every sector of the global economy, concerns are growing the world will be catapulted into a damaging recession, leading to stock markets enduring horror losses and wild swings.

In other news – Boity Thulo’s big B00BS cause chaos at Mzansi Viewers’ Choice Awards, actor Hlomla Dandala couldn’t hold himself

On 14 March Saturday evening, some of the biggest stars in the country hit the DStv Mzansi Viewers’ Choice Awards. The 2020 awards were hosted by Minnie Dlamini, who once said that the ceremony would “celebrate excellence in entertainment, sport and ordinary South Africans doing extraordinary things. Read more

Source: eNCA