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Spectacular Seychelles stuns golfers yet again for the second edition of the MCB Tour Championship

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Seychelles could not have been more magnificent as the country held the 3-day competition of the second edition of the MCB Tour Championship at the Constance Lemuria on Praslin.

The competition, which closed on Saturday, December 7, saw the participation of 48 golfers from 16 different nationalities.

After an interesting Pro-Am event on Wednesday December 4, where the celebrity golfers played alongside Seychelles local golfers, they teed off for some serious business on Thursday December 5, under a perfectly sunny day.

Aside from the picture-perfect weather, Seychelles did not fail on providing the best play conditions for the golfers as they enjoyed a flawless course manned meticulously by the Constance Lemuria team under the supervision of Gary Pouponneau.

Seychelles, pristine paradise is an amazing archipelago in the Indian Ocean formed of 115 islands and is home to a beautifully diverse creole population. 

The country’s strong actions and constant avant-garde stands as a conservation pioneer in the region and around the world is also part of its renown.

Speaking at the tournament, the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Chief Executive Mrs. Sherin Francis commented on her absolute pleasure to have witnessed a successful second edition of the MCB Tour Championship in Seychelles.

She commended the organizers and the various sponsors including MCB Seychelles, Constance Lemuria, Staysure Tour, ISPC Seychelles, Hugo Boss, Cat Cocos, Takamaka Rum and Seybrew for their efforts.

Mrs. Francis mentioned that this second edition was definitely to place the destination in perspective as a place where nature prevails above all.    

“We keep on hearing amazing comments about the golf course, the views specially the one up Tee 15 which looks down to Anse Georgette is spectacular, this is definitely the kind of the images we want people to see as it shows  that our destination is truly another world of amazing fauna and flora,” said Mrs. Francis 

Mrs. Francis further mentioned that as part of its marketing strategy, the STB supports various national and international events throughout the year to increase the destination’s visibility.

While the first round ended with Gary Orr heading the scoreboards, recording an opening round of 64, six under par.

The second day saw the rise of South African, James Kingston at the head of the scoreboards, who carded a four under par round of 66.

The third competition day saw the crowning of Australian Peter Fowler who after three days of competition made it up the scoreboards.

MCB Group CEO Mr. Pierre Guy Noel and Deputy CEO Mr. Raoul Gufflet presented the MCB Tour Championship Seychelles trophy alongside Seychelles minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Mr. Didier Dogley.

The prize giving ceremony was conducted in the presence of Bruno Le Gac, General Manager for Lemuria; Mrs. Sherin Francis STB Chief Executive; Mark Aspland, Head of the Staysure Tour European Tour; Bernard Jackson, MCB Seychelles Managing Director; Captain Guy Adam Chairperson for Constance Seychelles and Jean-Jacques Vallet, CEO Constance Hotels Resorts and Golf.

Speaking about his victory on the Constance Lemuria course today, Fowler mentioned that this third day of the competition has been favorable to him as he started on a good start, which helped in his scores.

“It is absolutely great to be back in the Seychelles, I have been swimming and doing my exercises outdoors every day, I am looking forward to coming back in 2020,” said Fowler.

The tournament also received the support of local destination management companies Mason’s Travel, Creole Travel Services, 7 Degree South and Summer Rain Tours.

MEDIA CONTACT: STB News Bureau, Tel: +248 4 671 354 / +248 4 671 313, stbnews@seychelles.travel  www.seychelles.travel

Seychelles to welcome second leg of the MCB Tour Championship Indian Ocean Swing

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The land of the Coco-de-Mer – Seychelles – will be featured as the second leg of a three-destination competition for the second edition of the destination’s participation at the prestigious regional golf competition, the MCB Tour Championship.

Set to start on Friday, November 29, 2019, to Sunday, December 1, 2019, in Antanarivo in Madagascar, the competition will be returning for a second time to Constance Lemuria on the island of Praslin in Seychelles from Thursday December 5, 2019 to Saturday December 7, 2019.  The season finale will be taking place at Constance Belle Mare Plage in Mauritius from Friday December 13, 2019 to Sunday December 15, 2019.

Forty-eight players including the defending Champion Roger Chapman, his counterparts Clark Dennis and Paul McGinley and other golf celebrities are expected to tee off the Constance Lemuria par-70, 18-hole golf course that spans over an area of 5,580 meters on Thursday December 5, 2019 for 3 days of intense competition in Seychelles.

The Pro-Am, which will be played on Wednesday December 4, 2019, will be composed of 48 teams, each comprising of 1 Professional golfer and 1 Seychelles resident amateur including junior players and lady golfers.

The PRO-AM competition will see the first three teams (net) win prizes and there will also be competitions for the Longest Drive (men), Longest Drive (ladies) and the Nearest-the-Pin.

Speaking about the MCB Tour Championship – Seychelles, the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) Chief Executive, Mrs. Sherin Francis, expressed her satisfaction that the event has contributed considerably in providing visibility to the destination especially Praslin.

“Since we opened our shores to the MCB Tour Championship last year, it is clear that the visibility received by the destination was worldwide. Our partnership in the event is even more justified today as we see the increase in the number of players for the event implying that the interest for our destination has also increased. We are looking forward to a successful event in Seychelles,” said Mrs. Francis.

She also mentioned that being part of the event is part of STB’s marketing strategies to increase the destination’s visibility and promoting Seychelles as a sports destination.

Mrs. Francis further expressed her profound gratitude to all the local sponsors.

Aside from the title sponsor MCB Seychelles and Constance Lemuria, the MCB Tour Championship is being supported with contributions from the Staysure Tour, the STB, ISPC Seychelles, Hugo Boss, Cat Cocos, Takamaka Rum, and Seybrew, who are actively working towards making the second edition of the golf tournament in Seychelles an enormous success.

Mr. Bernard Jackson, Managing Director, MCB (Seychelles) said: “For the second year running, Seychelles is thrilled to host the pro golfers competing in the European Senior Tour. We celebrate our renewed international visibility on the golfing scene and are delighted that this year Madagascar also gets its share of the limelight with its inclusion in the tour alongside Mauritius and Seychelles. I thank The Seychelles Tourism Board and all the contributing partners for making this event a resounding success”.

Adding to the prestige of Seychelles’ leg is the breath-taking view of the white sandy beach of Anse Georgette, which will not fail to capture the player’s attention.

In view of the safety and security requirements, members of the local organizing committee will be asking for the cooperation of members of the public to refrain from using the footpath accessing to the Anse.

MEDIA CONTACT: STB News Bureau, Tel: +248 4 671 354 / +248 4 671 313, stbnews@seychelles.travel  www.seychelles.travel

Lufthansa makes dedicated staff look bad: The eTN Hero is Patricia Dzai of Swissport Johannesburg

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Lufthansa

“My personal hero today is Ms. Patricia Dzai. Patricia works for Swissport in Johannesburg, South Africa,” said eTN Publisher Juergen Steinmetz. Swissport is one of the largest aviation ground-handling agencies operating in countries around the world.

Major airlines hire Swissport to manage customer relations and logistics when it comes to baggage handling, including lost or misplaced items.

Lufthansa German Airlines’ ground handler in Johannesburg is Swissport. I recently traveled from Nice to Cape Town via Frankfurt and Johannesburg on Lufthansa German Airlines. I am a United Airlines Star Alliance Gold member and traveled on Lufthansa in Business class. Lufthansa is a member of Star Alliance.

When I arrived in Johannesburg, I heard my name called by Lufthansa’s lost baggage office handled by Swissport.

I was told my tube was still in Frankfurt, and they would put it on the next flight to Johannesburg. I explained it was of utmost importance to have the tube for an important trade show event, the World Travel Market in Cape Town, in the morning.

Patricia Dzai, the Swissport agent in Johannesburg, wanted to make sure this would be possible and sent an urgent message to Lufthansa in Frankfurt. The message said:

 

 

 

 

 

I was pleased to know my tube would go on LH 576 directly to Cape Town almost in time for the start of World Travel Market.

I went on to fly to Cape Town and received a text message in the evening saying my tube would be on the Lufthansa flight to Johannesburg, which was different from what Patricia had requested. Since it was late and the Swissport office in Johannesburg was closed, I was able to find a non-published phone number for Lufthansa baggage service in Frankfurt. Lufthansa, like most airlines, is hiding phone numbers to encourage passengers to communicate only by email.

I was told by Lufthansa Baggage Service in Frankfurt no such message to forward my tube to Cape Town was ever received by Swissport Johannesburg. The agent went on to say that passengers are often not told the truth by Swissport agents.

The Lufthansa agent in Frankfurt explained that his job was not to help me, since this was only handled in Johannesburg. I argued my tube is in Frankfurt and not Johannesburg, and the handling agent for Swissport in Johannesburg was closed.

The agent then said he was now doing a one-time exception for me and would reroute my tube on LH576 directly to Cape Town. He said there were 5 hours to get this done, still plenty of time according to him.

The next day I received another message telling me again the tube was on its way to Johannesburg instead of Cape Town.

I called Swissport in Johannesburg, and the news not could have been worse. They told me, apologizing, that my tube was still in Frankfurt for a second day, and they did not know why.

I again called the baggage-handling office in Frankfurt and was again told it’s all Swissport’s mistake for not telling them where to send it.

This time I was angry and called Swissport Johannesburg again. I asked Patricia why she was lying about this. I told her she never sent this request to Frankfurt, according to Lufthansa.

Ten minutes later, I received an email with a time-stamped screenshot from Patricia Dzai showing me exactly what was requested by her in the first place.

Patricia actually had gone out of her way originally to make sure I would be united with my tube on time and in Cape Town. I felt bad thinking she didn’t care and didn’t do anything, when in fact she did.

It shows that big companies like Lufthansa have a serious customer service issue. They hide behind a huge system and are trained to say it’s not their job and simply blame others for company shortcomings.

There was no way I could talk to anyone at Lufthansa about this, and my urgent email to them on the day I was trying to get the tube re-routed was just responded to 2 weeks after I was already back home in Hawaii. Lufthansa offered a 200 euro compensation.

No explanation was given and no apology for accusing Patricia Dzai and Swissport for not doing their job.

I finally received my tube on the last day after the trade show and took it back to the US unopened. When I changed planes in Frankfurt, I asked the agent working in the Senator Lounge to speak to a supervisor in baggage handling about this case and compensation. She told me I have to send an email, which I had already done days ago.

She gave me some chocolate and said they get customers’ complaints all the time and do their best to help and respond, but the back-up system by the airline is not there.

It’s all about a giant non-caring anonymous machine.

I extend my apologies to Patricia Dzai from Swissport, as I now understand she was also a victim of shortcomings created by Lufthansa German Airlines.

Patricia Dzai is the eTN Hero for today.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Senior tourist dies at Grand Canyon after fall

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A 70-year-old tourist fell to her death yesterday, Tuesday, April 23, 2019, at the Grand Canyon in the US state of Arizona. She is the second person to die at this popular tourist destination this year. The Grand Canyon national park sees 6 million visitors every year.

A call went out to park rangers that someone needed  help at the South Rim of the canyon, but by the time responders arrived, the person had fallen 200 feet below the rim. Her body was recovered using a helicopter. It is not known how the woman fell.

The Grand Canyon has designated trails and walkways as well as railings and fences at overlooks that will keep visitors at a safe distance from the rim’s edge. Anyone who chooses to venture beyond that is literally taking their lives into their own hands.

In 2015, 8 men were hopping from one rock to another or posing for pictures, including a 38-year-old father from Texas who was pretending to fall to scare his daughter, but then really did fall 400 feet to his death.

On March 14, 2017,  30-year-old Gom Dang, of Ankeny, Iowa, fell to his death off the rim west of Mather Point as he was posing for a photo when he lost his balance and fell backward to his death. His body was recovered approximately 280 feet below the rim.

In this day and age of the selfie, many people have lost their lives trying to get the perfect picture. A tourist from Hong Kong died falling into the canyon on the Hualapai reservation, just outside the park’s boundaries, on March 28, 2017. He was taking a photo at the time.

In that same year, 20 people fell to their death at the Grand Canyon. A 67-year-old man fell 400 feet from the South Rim and died on April 3. There were 290 search-and-rescues and 1,135 emergency medical service incidents.

Dying from heat or dehydration is more common than falling off the edge in the Grand Canyon, but it is still a major concern. On average, 2 to 3 deaths per year are from falls over the rim.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Boeing scraps 2019 financial forecast, halts share buybacks in wake of 737 MAX disaster

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World’s biggest aerospace corporation was forced to pull its full financial forecast for the current year due to unresolved issues surrounding Boeing’s once best-selling 737 MAX aircraft.

Boeing also announced plans to pause share buybacks, citing “a challenging time for our customers, stakeholders and the company.”

“Across the company, we are focused on safety, returning the 737 MAX to service, and earning and re-earning the trust and confidence of customers, regulators and the flying public,” Boeing Chairman and CEO Dennis Muilenburg said in a statement.

The manufacturer had previously posted a report on the first-quarter earnings that managed to fall in line with analysts’ expectations, while its revenue was slightly less than projected. Boeing’s earning per share totaled the expected $3.16 from January through March, while the revenue amounted to $22.92 billion against $22.98 billion forecasted by London-based provider of financial markets data Refinitiv.

Boeing stressed that the previous guidance didn’t reflect the impact of two crashes of the company’s flagship planes, leading to the grounding of all 737 MAX 8 jets by global regulators, lawsuits from some air carriers and a decline in market value.

According to the producer, more than 135 test and production flights of updated software for the 737 MAX have been carried out so far.

Boeing’s bestseller crashed on March 10 not far from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa six minutes after takeoff on the way to Nairobi, Kenya. The tragedy, which killed 157 people, marked the second crash involving the same jet model in less than six months. In October, the same type of aircraft, operated by Indonesia’s Lion Air, crashed in the Java Sea shortly after takeoff, claiming the lives of 189 people.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Moscow selected to host annual GSMA Mobile 360 Series event

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Eurasia conference, a regional event held as part of the activities of GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications Association), will be held in Moscow, October 8-9 2019.

The decision to host the event in Moscow was adopted as a result of an active work of the Russian Convention Bureau which provided the proposal for venues, and organized an inspection visit for representatives of the international association.

The event will be held in Moscow for the second time, following the successful launch in 2018 which gathered over 600 attendees from 21 countries and 52% were Director-level and above.

In 2019, the conference and exhibition will bring together over 600 policymakers, regulatory authorities, international organisations, Mobile Network Operators, mobile technology solution providers and broader ICT ecosystem players from Russia, the CIS region and the international market leaders in 5G technology. The event will be held at the Lotte Hotel Moscow.

Anton Kobyakov, Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation, said: “The sphere of mobile and high technologies plays a key role in stimulating economic growth, attracting foreign investments and increasing global competitiveness through development of science and technology. Adding more industries to the list of events organized by the Russian Convention Bureau will not only facilitate the development of corresponding areas of the real economy sector but also help create the image of the country on the international arena as one of the most meaningful players on the market of the event industry.”

Alexey Kalachev, Director of the Russian Convention Bureau, said: “We use various tools of working with international associations as we work to attract various business events to Russia. We are ready to offer universal and customized solutions that will correspond to the needs and expectations of conference organizers of various scale in different industries.”

Travel News | eTurboNews

Mediterranean Resort & Hotel Real Estate Forum returns to Greece

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Now in its fifth year, the Mediterranean Resort & Hotel Real Estate Forum (MR&H) will return to Greece for the second year in succession this October. The event, hosted by Questex, is dedicated to the investment, development and operation of resorts and hotels within the Mediterranean region. This niche, but highly specialized area, comprises various elements; hotel, residential, marinas, health clubs, children’s activities, retail, sports facilities, F&B, all of which need to be carefully woven together with seamless operation to create a successful resort.

The conference will be held at the Hilton Athens on the 29-31st October 2019. A fitting venue for Hilton’s celebration of 100 years in hospitality and the continuation of the premise that the group was founded on; “travel can make the world a better place”.

The dynamic growth of tourism in Greece continues to boost investment activity throughout the country and throughout the wider Mediterranean region. Speaking at MIPIM last month, Secretary General for Tourism Policy and Development George Tziallas said; “Half of all funding under Greece’s 2016 development law has been channeled into tourism ventures, while more than 400 investment plans have been submitted in the last three years to the tourism ministry for approval.”

This statement is supported by data recently released by Horwath HTL during the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) which revealed Greece is a prime investment opportunity for international hotel chains as only 1.7% of total units currently operate under an international brand. Results from the joint investor sentiment survey from Tranio and IHIF showed Greece listed as one of the European countries that is most attractive for hotel real estate investment.

Stakeholders from leading operators including Thomas Cook, Club Med and Nobu attend the event alongside investors from KSL, Starwood Capital Group and Dolphin Capital all recognizing the value of coming together as a collective to debate, converse and discuss.

Registration for MR&H 2019 is now open and delegate tickets can be purchased at the best value Early Bird rate until the end of May.

Enterprise Greece have pledged their continued support for MR&H and Grigoris Stergioulis, Chairman & CEO at Enterprise Greece said in relation to the ongoing collaboration; “Building on the success of the event last year, the positive working relationship with Questex and the significant opportunities that exist for investors in the Greek hotel market, we’re thrilled to once again partner with MR&H and look forward to welcoming the event to Greece for the second year.”

Alexi Khajavi, Managing Director of EMEA Hospitality + Travel Group, Questex said; “The tourism and hospitality prosperity that Greece is enjoying is leading to significant activity from serious investors and developers. As a conference host, our role is to facilitate these meetings, connections and interactions in an environment that is educational and energizing. With the continued support from Enterprise Greece, Hilton providing the setting, and amongst very encouraging industry data, we’re confident that MR&H will prove to be an event not to be missed for those currently active or keen to do business within the Mediterranean resort and hotel space”.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Russia to use Fan-IDs (again) as visas for 2020 UEFA Euro Cup visitors

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Upper house of the Russian parliament, the Federation Council, have passed on Monday a bill allowing foreign tourists with Fan-IDs to travel to Russia without entry visas for matches of the 2020 UEFA Euro Cup.

Last week, the bill was passed in the third and final reading by lawmakers from the State Duma, the parliament’s lower house, and following today’s approval by the senators, it must be signed into law by the Russian president.

“Within the period, which begins 14 days prior to the first match of the 2020 UEFA Euro Cup in Saint Petersburg and ends on the day of the last match [in St. Petersburg], the entrance to Russia for foreign citizens and stateless persons, who come to Russia to watch 2020 UEFA Euro Cup matches, will not require issuance of visas based on identification documents,” according to the explanatory note.

Addressing a government’s session in mid-March, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that the country planned “to employ the same mechanism we used in the past regarding the issuance and operational rules of Fan-IDs.”

Russia came up for the 2018 FIFA World Cup with an innovation, which was the so-called Fan-ID and was required for all ticketholders. This innovation was successfully tested during the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia and earned high marks from the world’s governing football body of FIFA.

The Fan-ID played an important security role during the major football tournament in Russia as it granted admittance to the stadiums and also served as visa for foreign visitors to enter the country.

A Fan-ID holder was allowed to enter the country without having a Russian visa and stay for the duration of the global football tournament. Fan-IDs were obligatory, in addition to purchased tickets, in order to attend matches of the 2018 World Cup tournament in Russia.

2020 UEFA Euro Cup

The matches of the 2020 Euro Cup will be held at stadiums in 12 different cities across Europe, namely in London (England), Munich (Germany), Rome (Italy), Baku (Azerbaijan), Saint Petersburg (Russia), Bucharest (Romania), Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Dublin (Ireland), Bilbao (Spain), Budapest (Hungary), Glasgow (Scotland) and Copenhagen (Denmark).

Russia’s second largest city of St. Petersburg was granted the right to host three group stage matches and one of the quarterfinals of the 2020 UEFA Euro Cup.

The decision to hold the 2020 Euro Cup, which will be celebrating its 60th anniversary that year, in various European countries instead of in one or two hosting countries was made at the UEFA Executive Committee’s meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, on December 6, 2012.

A total of 24 national football teams will be playing in the final tournament of the 2020 Euro Cup. All 55 UEFA national member teams, including 12 teams from the hosting countries, will have to play in the qualifying matches to vie for the berth in the final 24-team lineup of the quadrennial European football championship.

It is possible that some of the national teams from the hosting countries of the 2020 Euro Cup will not be playing on home soil in case they fail to clear the qualifying stage.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Soap bars around the world get a new life from Red Lion Hotels

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Based on US market statistics, the combined hospitality segment produces close to 440 billion pounds of solid waste per year. A great amount of this waste is made up of discarded soap and bottled amenities. However, through Clean the World’s Hospitality Recycling Program, these life-saving hygiene products can skip the landfill and, instead, be sent to one of Clean the World’s five Recycling Operations Centers where the products are sanitized, fully recycled, and given a second-life to help those in need. It’s a win-win for the hospitality industry, helping to reduce waste and transform lives around the world.

In celebration of Earth Day, Clean the World, dedicated to WASH (WAter, Sanitation and Hygiene) and global sustainability, is joining forces with RLH Corporation to collect and recycle gently-used bars of soap and bottled amenities at Hotel RL locations nationwide to help fight the spread of preventable diseases while preserving our planet.

“We are excited to collaborate with Clean the World,” said RLH Corporation SVP of Brand Strategy Amanda Marcello. “At Hotel RL, we are focused on the modern-day traveler, with core hotel elements that allow guests to immerse themselves in local culture while maintaining their connection to the world. We are always searching for opportunities to better our planet, the communities we live in and those around the world. With Clean the World, we will now be able to make a significant improvement in reducing the amount of waste our hotels produce while benefiting communities worldwide by recycling our bath amenities.”

Together, this Earth Day, Clean the World and RLH Corporation are bringing awareness to sustainable practices within the travel and hospitality industry. Eight Hotel RL locations adopting the Hospitality Recycling Program this week will begin recycling all soap and bottled amenities from over 1,600 guestrooms. In just one year, the Hotel RL portfolio of hotels is projected to provide over 6,700 pounds of soap and bottled amenities to Clean the World, resulting in the creation of an estimated 23,000 bars of newly-recycled soap to be distributed to those in need locally and globally.

“We are thrilled to join forces with RLH Corporation this Earth Day to share the importance of implementing new, eco-friendly approaches to daily operations that benefit and help to preserve our planet,” said Shawn Seipler, founder and CEO of Clean the World. “By diverting leftover soap and bottled amenities from landfills, RLH Corporation will not only help Clean the World provide health and hygiene programs to children and families around the world, but also set a great example of CSR and sustainability throughout the hospitality industry, encouraging others to help make a difference.”

Through this joint venture, newly-recycled bars of Clean the World soap will make their way to shelters, food banks and disaster relief initiatives in the United States, in addition to supporting hygiene education internationally through Clean the World Foundation’s WASH Education programming. Our global programming, in places like India, Kenya and Tanzania, has contributed to a 60 percent decrease in the rate of hygiene-related deaths in children under 5, helping to keep children healthy and in school.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Thomas Cook selling its travel business: Chinese investment fund interested

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Thomas Cook is the world’s oldest tour operator and was founded in Market Harborough in 1841 by businessman Thomas Cook. It started off with organized railway outings for members of the local temperance movement.

The travel company received approaches for parts of its business and the company as a whole, according to reports. The business put its airline up for sale in February and it said last month it would close 21 stores across the country and cut more than 300 jobs.

Chinese investment firm Fosun International could be a bidder for the company’s tour operating business, which runs a joint venture with Thomas Cook in China. It could be months before any formal offer is lodged, and there is no guarantee one will be made.

Thomas Cook now has annual sales of £9bn, 19 million customers a year and 22,000 staff operating in 16 countries.

In September, Thomas Cook said profits would be hit after the summer heat wave saw many take their holidays in the UK. It issued a second profit warning in November, when it said winter bookings were also down.

The shop closures will take the number of Thomas Cook outlets down to 566. It said a consultation with staff and unions had begun.

Travel News | eTurboNews