Regenerative Travel: How TUI’s “Field to Fork” Program is Transforming Local Farms into Global Holiday Highlights

In the evolving world of global travel, the definition of “luxury” is shifting. It’s no longer just about thread counts or infinity pools; it’s about the authenticity of the experience and the positive footprint a traveler leaves behind. In December 2025, TUI Group took center stage at a high-level policy discussion in Brussels to showcase how their “Field to Fork” program is doing exactly that—bridging the gap between rural farmers and the high-demand world of international tourism.

The initiative, powered by the TUI Care Foundation, is proving that when a hotel’s breakfast table is supplied by the farm next door, everyone wins. The farmer gains a stable, high-value market; the guest enjoys the freshest organic flavors; and the destination preserves the very cultural heritage that makes it worth visiting.

The Power of the Plate: A Greek Success Story

While the Field to Fork program spans nine global destinations—including Cyprus, Cape Verde, and Colombia—its impact in Greece has become the gold standard for regenerative tourism.

Data released during the 2025 TUI Policy Breakfast highlights a staggering economic ripple effect. In Greece alone, the program has:

• Channeled over €800,000 directly into local food procurement.
• Supported more than 250 farmers across 37 local communities
• Served over 72,000 organic, regenerative meals at 12 participating hotels.

Nikiforos Steiakakis, a representative from Crete, described the program as “one of the few successful pragmatic business perspectives currently available.” By creating a direct link between the primary sector (farming) and the tertiary sector (tourism), TUI is helping rural regions move beyond “undertourism” and providing them with a seat at the economic table.

How “Field to Fork” Works for Travelers

For the 2025 and 2026 travel seasons, TUI is making these sustainability efforts visible to the guests. It’s not just a behind-the-scenes procurement strategy; it’s an immersive holiday activity.

The Guest Experience Includes:

Gastronomic Themed Events: Hotels host “Field to Fork” nights where the menu tells the story of the local soil and the people who tend it.

Farm-to-Table Tours: In destinations like Cape Verde (at the Milot Hydroponic farm) and Tanzania, guests can visit the producers directly, learning about regenerative agriculture in arid or vulnerable landscapes.

Authentic Souvenirs: The program encourages the production of local delicacies that travelers can take home, ensuring that tourism revenue stays in the community long after the flight departs.

Regenerative Tourism: More Than Just “Greenwashing”

MEP Daniel Attard, a key figure in the discussion, emphasized that such initiatives are vital to combating “suffocating” over-concentration in hotspots.¹⁰ By promoting rural “Field to Fork” experiences, tourism can be redistributed to underserved regions that have significant potential but currently receive no share of the market.

The Global Reach: From Puglia to Zanzibar

While the Mediterranean remains a focal point, the TUI Care Foundation is scaling these lessons globally.¹² In Tanzania, the “Field to Fork” program is empowering over 2,700 entrepreneurs—80% of whom are women—to supply the hospitality sector in the Kilimanjaro region. In Zanzibar, the focus shifts to circularity, where organic waste is upcycled, and local food production is linked to the booming hotel industry to reduce reliance on expensive, high-carbon imports.

A Future of “Force for Good”

As TUI CEO Sebastian Ebel has frequently stated, sustainability is no longer a threat to the business model—it is the ultimate opportunity. The “Field to Fork” program proves that growth and authenticity are not mutually exclusive.¹³ By 2030, TUI aims to enable 20 million customers to choose sustainable holidays annually, and the success of these local farm partnerships is the engine driving that goal.¹⁴+1

For the modern traveler, the message is clear: your next holiday could do more than just provide a tan. It could support a farmer in Crete, empower a woman entrepreneur in Tanzania, and ensure that the world’s most beautiful rural landscapes remain vibrant for generations to come.

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