44 more jobs to go at Thomas Cook
Thomas Cook is planning to close its Dublin office, with the loss of 44 jobs.
The operator wants to stop its charter operations from Dublin from April 30.
It is currently contacted a "small number of customers" who have already booked packages for this summer.
Instead, customers in Ireland will have to book dynamically-packaged holidays through Thomas Cook’s website.
Calling it a ‘buy-to-order’ holiday, Thomas Cook said the decision
caters for the growing number of customers in Ireland who book online and will "better serve their needs and requirements".
As a gesture of goodwill, all charter customers booking an alternative holiday will get a 10% discount per person to encourage them to book again with Thomas Cook.
The company is entering into a 30-day consultation with staff in Dublin, with a view to close the office on May 30.
Thomas Cook UK & Ireland MD Reto Wilhelm said: "This move exclusively online is right for the Thomas Cook Group and our customers in Ireland at this time. However, we fully appreciate the impact this decision will have on our Dublin-based employees. We are committed to doing everything that we can to support the team over the coming weeks should our proposal to enter a consultation process go ahead."
A statement from Thomas Cook said: "The Irish leisure travel market has moved away from charter products over the last six years with online growing ever more prevalent in the holiday booking process.
"In contrast to other parts of the business, which benefit from an in-house airline as well as controlled distribution, Thomas Cook Ireland tour operator depends on third party agents for distribution and third party airlines for flying.
"This, combined with other structural and economic factors in the Irish market, has led to this proposal."
It stressed that the plans would not have any impact on its operation in Northern Ireland, where retail stores are open for business as usual.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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