Yield desire instead of travel frustration: TUI, Pathfinder, Deutsche Lufthansa

TUI: Is a nasty surprise looming here?

As one of the largest travel groups in the world, TUI offers everything from a single source. Those who browse online at TUI for a trip will find package tours where even the third cocktail is still included. But TUI also offers unusual round trips and thus meets the desire of many people for an individual travel experience. In 2022, TUI itself expects bookings to be almost at pre-Corona levels. After the state had to come to the rescue during the pandemic, TUI now wants to strengthen its balance sheet and grow again soon. But how is the share price doing?

Within the past six months, TUI has lost around 50%. In the course of this, the share was repeatedly traded as a comeback candidate. Most recently, however, TUI ran out of steam again after just a few encouraging days - the share is currently trading back at its low. TUI will present its quarterly figures on August 10. By then, at the latest, the market will know where the journey is headed. Given strikes and waves of illness, skeptics expect that TUI's business might not be as smooth as repeatedly emphasized in recent weeks and months. The share remains a hot potato.

Pathfinder Ventures: Camping as a growth market

The campsite operator Pathfinder Ventures is also a hot potato. However, this is not due to the current difficulties surrounding staff shortages and waves of illness. On the contrary, Pathfinder Ventures operates campgrounds in Canada and offers parking facilities for RVs. In uncertain times, people are even more drawn to home turf than usual. Most Pathfinder customers come from surrounding cities or travel only a few hours to relax over the weekend. "Our parks are open year-round. Even in the winter, we have regulars who meet with us and come back year after year. Add to that the growing number of US and even European tourists. Short-term bookings don't play a role for this group of customers, " commented CEO Joe Bleackley in an interview a few weeks ago.

In the interview, the CEO and passionate camper explained that some campgrounds in Canada are still family-run businesses and are facing succession problems. Here Pathfinder would like to support as a partner on an equal footing and acquire more campsites in the coming years and develop them further according to the proven Pathfinder standards. That includes, for example, modern equipment and a high degree of family friendliness. "We want campers to see our logo and book directly via the app because they know exactly what to expect - wherever we operate parks in the future," Bleackley explains. The Pathfinder Ventures stock has been running volatilely sideways for weeks. It is a tourism stock that should remain reasonably robust even if Corona makes a comeback in the fall. There is also the growth fantasy surrounding the acquisition strategy. The stock is speculative but interesting. Pathfinder could become a strong brand that appeals to many campers.

Lufthansa: From a proud crane to a lame duck

Lufthansa used to be a strong brand that appealed to passengers. In the meantime, the corporation is only a shadow of its former self, and Lufthansa is only a four-star airline. Customers' personal impressions also read disillusioned. They speak of little legroom and slow service. While customers at airlines from other European countries or the Middle East have to almost vigorously refuse additional drinks, the bottle of still water handed out after the meal often has to last for hours at Lufthansa. And now the ver.di strike is added to the mix, fitting into the image of the airline that doesn't fly. The share is in a downward spiral, and a retest of the EUR 5.50 mark is likely. Below that, things could get bleak for Lufthansa shareholders.

Comparing the three tourism stocks outlined, Lufthansa is undoubtedly in the worst position. Even though rising inflation and the looming energy price shock are likely to dampen Germans' travel activity, a brilliant comeback for TUI's stock is not off the table. Pathfinder Ventures also has potential. The Company's advantage is that it benefits from a local market and should suffer less from inflation and the like. In addition, the Canadians have the potential to grow intrinsically thanks to their acquisition strategy. Pathfinder Ventures is a case for closer analysis!