Rainbow Tours

Rainbow Tours: growth, risk management and expansion plans — key takeaways from CEO Maciej Szczechura

In a January 2026 interview, Rainbow Tours CEO Maciej Szczechura reviewed the operator’s recent performance, market dynamics and strategic priorities for 2026. He highlighted sustained post‑pandemic growth, evolving product mix and geographic expansion, while outlining operational lessons from recent crisis evacuations and reactions to new tourist‑guarantee regulations.

Financial and scale highlights

• Revenue and scale: Rainbow’s 2025 turnover exceeded PLN 4 billion (more than double pre‑pandemic levels of ~PLN 1.7 billion).
• Customer base: Client volumes are approaching ~900,000 bookings annually, roughly double versus the pre‑pandemic period.
• Growth trajectory: Rapid post‑pandemic growth (years with ~30% and >20%) has slowed to more moderate increases (~10% recently), reflecting market maturation.
• Market position: Rainbow expects to be third by revenue and fourth by customer numbers on the Polish market (depending on peers’ results).

Operational environment and risk management

• Rainbow operates in 100+ countries and sends >100,000 customers per year via scheduled (non‑charter) flights in addition to charter programs.
• The company has developed crisis procedures — recent evacuations included groups from Israel/Gaza and from Venezuela — demonstrating operational resilience and emergency logistics capability.
• In 2025 the market experienced temporary over‑supply and price competition; operators adjusted by reducing selected flights/winter or shoulder‑season departures and cutting prices to stimulate demand.

Product mix, destinations and customer trends

• Core demand remains concentrated on Mediterranean markets: Turkey (leader), Greece (strong), with growing interest in Tunisia, Cyprus and Albania.
• Rainbow continues to develop niche/exotic routes (e.g., Akaba in Jordan, Margarita Island, and other non‑standard Red Sea or Caribbean products) to diversify the offer.
• Earlier bookings are stronger (January is a major sales month) and recent presales for summer 2026 look robust—Rainbow reported double‑digit growth versus mid‑December’s +6.1% figure after a late‑December pickup.

Strategic priorities and investments

• Vertical integration: expanding on‑the‑ground capabilities via Destination Management Companies (DMCs) — new DMC in Italy announced to service roughly ~30,000 clients and additional DMCs in existing markets.
• Hotel ownership: Rainbow currently owns about 1,000 hotel rooms in Greece (five hotels) and aims to roughly double that capacity over time; recent purchase included a 330‑room hotel on Kos.
• Regional expansion / M&A: acquisition of Romanian operator Paralela 45 (≈100,000 clients) — Rainbow plans to scale the Romanian operation ~3x over five years and is open to further cross‑border acquisitions when attractive opportunities arise.
• No immediate airline plan: Rainbow has analyzed owning aircraft but does not see a business case yet; CEO notes airline ownership becomes sensible only at larger scale (multiple aircraft needed for reliability and backup capacity).

Regulatory and financial safeguards

• New tourist‑guarantee law (effective 1 Jan 2026) introduces two helpful changes: the ability to split required guarantees across multiple providers and the option to use part of the national Tourist Guarantee Fund as collateral.
• CEO confirmed Rainbow will use the fund‑backing option and may use multiple guarantors; this should lower financing pressure and improve capital allocation versus the prior environment where required cover equated to very large single guarantees.
• Rainbow supports maintaining strong multi‑pillar consumer protection and is cautious about proposals to suspend client contribution collections, preferring a well‑capitalized fund.

Risks and market commentary

• Macro and geopolitical risks (conflicts, weather events) remain constant operational challenges; Rainbow views effective emergency procedures as a competitive advantage.
• Smaller operators face pressure from scale advantages (lower distribution and customer‑acquisition costs via e‑commerce and owned sales), which can lead to consolidation or exits in fragmented segments.

Source: Interview with Maciej Szczechura on Rzeczpospolita (video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0yhcKtdZaE

Why this matters for Rainbow Tours S.A.: The interview outlines Rainbow’s current financial scale, strategic roadmap (vertical integration, hotel portfolio growth, cross‑border expansion) and its operational resilience and regulatory positioning — all central to the company’s near‑term performance and risk profile.

Rainbow Tours S.A. Announces 2026 Financial Reporting and Sales Updates

Rainbow Tours S.A., one of Poland's leading tour operators, has released its schedule for financial reporting and sales updates for 2026. The company will publish its extended consolidated quarterly reports for Q1 and Q3 on May 28 and November 26, respectively. The semi-annual report for H1 2026 will be released on September 24, while the annual reports for 2025 will be available on April 23. Rainbow Tours will not issue separate quarterly reports for Q4 2025 and Q2 2026.

Additionally, the company will provide monthly updates on sales revenues from January to November 2026. To enhance transparency, Rainbow Tours will also release pre-sales data for its "Summer 2026," "Winter 2026/2027," and "Summer 2027" holiday packages on specific dates throughout the year. These updates aim to bridge the information gap between transaction dates and revenue recognition, offering stakeholders a clearer view of the company's performance.

Relevance: This announcement aligns with Rainbow Tours S.A.'s focus on financial performance transparency and operational updates, which are critical for maintaining investor confidence and market competitiveness.

Rainbow Tours S.A. Secures $109.8 Million Charter Agreement with Enter Air for 2026-2027 Seasons

Rainbow Tours S.A., one of Poland's leading tour operators, has signed a significant air charter agreement with Enter Air Sp. z o.o. to secure passenger and baggage transport services for the "Summer 2026" and "Winter 2026/2027" tourist seasons. The agreement, valued at an estimated $109.8 million (approximately PLN 395.87 million), will remain in effect until April 30, 2027. The contract outlines the provision of charter flight services, with costs subject to variables such as flight cancellations and fluctuating cost components. Payments will be made in accordance with the schedule of individual charter flights.

The agreement is a strategic move for Rainbow Tours S.A., ensuring aviation capacity for its core business of organizing package holidays, which is critical for maintaining its market position and financial stability.

Rainbow Tours S.A. Reports Strong Revenue Growth in 2025

Rainbow Tours S.A., one of Poland's leading tour operators, has announced a significant increase in its revenues for November 2025 and the year-to-date period. The company's standalone revenues for November 2025 reached 227.3 million PLN, marking an 8.6% growth compared to November 2024. Cumulatively, from January to November 2025, standalone revenues totaled 4.1469 billion PLN, reflecting a 9.7% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

The consolidated revenues of the Rainbow Tours Capital Group also showed robust growth. For November 2025, consolidated revenues amounted to 239.5 million PLN, a 13.4% rise compared to November 2024. Year-to-date consolidated revenues reached 4.4161 billion PLN, up 13.4% from the corresponding period in 2024. This growth includes contributions from the Romanian subsidiary, Paralela 45 Turism S.R.L., which has been integrated into the group's financial reporting since August 2025.

The company highlighted that this financial performance could influence the valuation of its financial instruments listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange.

Relevance: This article is relevant to Rainbow Tours S.A.'s business profile as it highlights the company's financial performance, including the impact of its acquisition of Paralela 45 Turism, and underscores its growth trajectory in the tourism market.

Rainbow Tours Reports 6.1% Growth in Pre-Sales for Summer 2026 Travel Packages

Rainbow Tours S.A., a leading Polish tour operator, has announced a 6.1% year-on-year increase in pre-sales for its "Summer 2026" travel packages. As of December 15, 2025, the company recorded 157,687 bookings for trips scheduled between April and October 2026, compared to 148,681 bookings for the same period in the previous year. The revenue from these sales will be recognized in the corresponding travel months, in line with accounting standards. This update aims to bridge the information gap between transaction dates and revenue reporting, providing stakeholders with more frequent sales data.

This announcement is significant as it highlights Rainbow Tours' strong market position and growing demand for its travel offerings, aligning with its focus on outbound tourism and financial performance.

Rainbow Tours Reports 8.2% Growth in Winter 2025/2026 Pre-Sales

Rainbow Tours S.A., one of Poland's leading tour operators, has announced a significant increase in pre-sales for its Winter 2025/2026 holiday packages. As of November 30, 2025, the company recorded 144,605 bookings, marking an 8.2% growth compared to the same period in 2024, which saw 133,707 bookings. The pre-sales data reflects strong consumer demand for winter travel, with revenues from these bookings set to be recognized between November 2025 and March 2026, in line with accounting standards.

The company emphasized that the disclosure of pre-sales figures aims to bridge the information gap between transaction dates and revenue recognition, ensuring transparency and providing stakeholders with timely updates on sales performance.

Relevance: This announcement highlights Rainbow Tours' robust operational performance and growing demand for its travel packages, aligning with its focus on financial performance and tourism market trends.

Rainbow Tours S.A. Reports Strong Revenue Growth in October 2025

Rainbow Tours S.A., one of Poland's leading tour operators, has announced a significant increase in revenues for October 2025. The company's standalone sales revenue for the month reached 248.3 million PLN, marking a 14.0% rise compared to October 2024. Cumulatively, from January to October 2025, standalone revenues totaled 3.919 billion PLN, reflecting a 9.7% year-on-year growth.

The consolidated revenues of the Rainbow Tours Capital Group also showed robust performance, with October 2025 sales reaching 278.0 million PLN, a 20.7% increase compared to the same month in 2024. Year-to-date consolidated revenues amounted to 4.176 billion PLN, up 13.4% from the corresponding period in 2024. The growth was partly attributed to the inclusion of revenues from the Romanian subsidiary, Paralela 45 Turism, starting in August 2025.

The company highlighted that these results could influence its financial standing and the valuation of its financial instruments listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange.

Relevance: This article is relevant to Rainbow Tours S.A.'s business profile as it highlights the company's financial performance, including the impact of its acquisition of Paralela 45 Turism, and underscores its growth trajectory in the tourism market.