Thomas Cook, perhaps the most famous name in British mass tourism, is almost back in European hands. Chinese owner Fosun is in talks to sell Thomas Cook to a Polish online travel company. Britain’s Sky News reports that Fosun Tourism Group is in advanced negotiations to sell Thomas Cook to eSky, which is majority-owned by MCI Capital, a private equity firm focused on Central and Eastern Europe. According to financial sources in the UK, the talks have been going on for some time. The deal could be completed in the coming weeks, although there is a chance that the sale will still fall through. If the sale goes through, Thomas Cook will change hands for the second time since the company’s catastrophic collapse in the fall of 2019. Due to the bankruptcy of the group, thousands of people lost their jobs. Many holidaymakers had to be repatriated. Founded in 1841, Thomas Cook became synonymous with the start of mass tourism and the provision of package holidays. For many years, the brand was prominently present in various European countries. Fosun built up a large stake in Thomas Cook while it was still a publicly traded company. After the bankruptcy, Thomas Cook was split up. Fosun acquired the trademark rights for only £11 million. Fosun then relaunched Thomas Cook as an online travel agent in the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium. According to the FD, Thomas Cook achieved a turnover of 13 million pounds in 2022. The company had 85,000 bookings and has eleven employees. (Photo Shutterstock).
