5 2


Cook backed by rival but more cuts announced


Amie Keeley amie.keeley@travelweekly.co.uk


Jet2holidays’ trade sales boss said he would not want “anything to happen” to rival hos oo  ust ds before Cook announced widespread ob uts nd shop losures.


Alan Cross made the comments


three days before Cook said it planned to close 21 stores and had put 320 shop staff under consultation. Speaking at a Travel


Weekly Business Breakfast, he said: “I would not like anything to happen to Cook because [if] a brand like that [failed], it would be bad for the industry and onsmer onfidene Cross added that Jet2.com had


no plans to acquire Thomas Cook Airlines, and had no current plans to start flying from other ondon airports after launching routes from Stansted in 2017. oo issed two rofit warnings


last year and put its airline up for sale in February. Last week, it


Alan Cross: ‘We have no plans to acquire Thomas Cook Airlines’


announced the staff consultations and shop closures following a review of its retail performance. oo said the ts refleted a shift in consumer buying habits, with 64% of its UK bookings made online in 2018, up from 49% in 2017. The planned closure of 21 stores will see the loss of 102 staff across those branches, with a further 218 sales consultant roles across the network also earmarked to go. The 21 shops affected – ranging


from Glasgow and Llandudno to Launceston and Guildford – are those with leases that are about to expire and are not rofitale Cook employs 3,800 staff across its store


network in the UK. It has closed 200 shops in the


last two years. The new round of closures will


reduce Cook’s chain to 566 shops. This week, Cook also announced


it was reiewing its finanial services division to cut costs and said UK chief of retail and money


Anth Mooney had left the business. › Talk Back, page 17 › Business Breakfast, back pages


3


InteleTravel has the support of suppliers including Cosmos and Uniworld


STORIES HOT


InteleTravel splits industry opinion


Travel Weekly reporters


Abta’s decision to grant membership to US homeworking agency InteleTravel sparked  fiere blsh fro soe established agents, but several ledin suppliers bed the fir.


InteleTravel joined the association last week, prompting a wave of negative comments from those who believe the company risks damaging agents’ reputation by actively recruiting new entrants with no travel experience. However, while a number of


suppliers contacted by Travel Weekly said they were still assessing whether to wor with the firm Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, Uniworld, Affordable Car Hire, Cosmos, Avalon and Holiday Extras all welcomed its Abta membership. Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean both said they work with InteleTravel in the US. Adolfo Perez, Carnival’s senior vice-president for sales and trade marketing, said: “We look forward to working with them in the UK”. Giles Hawke, chief executive


of Cosmos and Avalon, said: “We recognise Abta are the experts [and] welcome any new entrant


“You aren’t born an agent. With [training], there’s no reason you can’t be one”


into the market”. His comments were echoed by river cruise line Uniworld, whose national sales manager Rachel Healey said “every travel agent is important to us”. Both Affordable Car Hire and


Holiday Extras already work with InteleTravel, with the latter set to provide training for its recruits. Dozens of agents voiced criticism on social media. The Holiday Village’s Martin Sandland-Owens said: “Selling travel is not a hobby. If Chloe down the road, selling Juiceplus alongside make-up, is selling travel with no experience, our industry is doomed.” Kate Thomson, of Freedom


Personal Travel Advisors, said: “How can you provide the best service with no experience?” InteleTravel UK director Tricia


Handley-Hughes said: “You aren’t born a travel agent, and if you have gone through the rigorous testing,


there’s no reason you can’t be one.” › Talk Back, page 17


28 March 2019travelweekly.co.uk5


PICTURE: SARAH LUCY BROWN


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