Skift Power Rankings: Sebastian Ebel

Power is not just about who holds the top job but who shapes the landscape, drives innovation, and sets the agenda for what comes next. With that in mind, we proudly present Skift’s Power Rankings — our list of the most powerful leaders in travel.

Sebastian Ebel, the CEO of TUI Group, has positioned Europe’s largest tour operator as an even more significant player in the global travel industry since taking the helm in 2021. Ebel’s focus has consistently been on transforming the sector, widening TUI’s customer base, and enhancing customer experience with technology.

Even as its toughest competitor, Thomas Cook, collapsed in 2019, TUI, which employs over 70,000 people and served 19 million travelers in its 2023 financial year, has thrived. 

Ebel consistently promises growth. “My focus is clear: we want to offer more products, acquire more and new customers, and, above all, grow profitably,” he said in a recent interview with a local outlet in Greece. He is also looking to grow the hotels and cruise business, with a particular focus on Africa.

Ebel learned the ins and outs of TUI by serving as its chief operating officer from 2013 to 2021 and a member of the executive board between 2014 and 2020. One of his most notable areas of focus is dynamic packaging, which allows customers to combine different travel components such as flights, hotels, and activities and create their own personalized travel packages. The company has made a significant effort to reach customers more directly, specifically teaming up with low-cost airlines and hoteliers. 

In recent months, as more destinations push back against overtourism, Ebel has been vocal about working with local governments to promote sustainable tourism. “It is important to build hotels where there is broad support for growth,” he said in the German publication, FVW. “We need the support of the local community and government. We need destinations that are hungry for tourism.”