Boston branch of Thomas Cook (and all 554 others) to re-open

Boston’s branch of Thomas Cook is to re-open, along with all others which were affected by the collapse of the travel giant, it has been announced.
Thomas Cook, in Pescod Square Shopping Centre, shortly after its closure.Thomas Cook, in Pescod Square Shopping Centre, shortly after its closure.
Thomas Cook, in Pescod Square Shopping Centre, shortly after its closure.

This is the message from Hays Travel, which yesterday (Wednesday, October 9) agreed to buy the historic holiday company’s high street shops.

In a statement posted on its website today, it said: “We are delighted to say that we already have some former Thomas Cook stores open with their original staff in place, and customers are popping in to welcome them back while we get trading up and running.

“We are re-opening all of 555 Thomas Cook shops as soon as possible and we are employing Thomas Cook people as fast as we can – 769 have been recruited and 180 made an offer up to last night.

“Our intention is to keep all the stores trading by making all of them profitable in their own right. The vast majority already are profitable and with some of the Hays Travel business approach and ethos, supported by our brilliant people, we are in good stead.”

To date, shops have opened in Redcar, Alnwick, Morpeth, Teesside Park, MetroCentre Gateshead, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, and Darlington, the statement says.

It does not give a date for the re-opening of the Boston shop, though.