The insolvent German travel group Thomas Cook turns off the lights. The organizer division with the Neckermann Reisen, Air Marin and Thomas Cook Signature brands will be closed next week, as Julia Kappel-Gnirs from the team of provisional insolvency administrators said today. „With the opening of insolvency proceedings expected next week, the affected employees will receive the notice. They are informed about it. „It is less than half of the total of about 2,100 employees. Sales of parts of the company will secure the future of more than 1,000 employees.
„It is a sad ending for employees and customers, to whom we can offer no continuation solution as a whole,“ said the managing director of the German Thomas Cook, Stefanie Berk.
Potential buyers were afraid
According to the provisional insolvency administrator, after the bankruptcy petition on September 25, an attempt was made to „find a total solution for the company under great time pressure. That was a Herculean task, „said Kappel-Gnirs. „There were a lot of prospects, but many have shied away from the size of the company and the cost of start-up financing.“
Some parts of the company already have buyers. The department store group Galeria Karstadt takes over Kaufhof 106 of the 126 travel agencies. As a result, more than 500 jobs are secured in the area. The Turkish tour operator Anex Tour acquires the Turkish specialist Öger Tours and the last-minute provider Bucher Reisen with a total of 84 employees. Both deals are subject to the approval of the antitrust authorities and the creditors‘ committee of Thomas Cook.
Competitor DER Touristik is interested in the hotel brand Sentido and the travel agency franchise brand Holiday Land. Interested parties are also reportedly for the well-known brand Neckermann Reisen, which is for many Germans for package holidays par excellence. Negotiations are also underway for the non-insolvent call center subsidiary in Bochum with around 500 employees.
