Travel firm reviews operations

Travel firm Thomas Cook confirmed a review of its UK operations was under way today amid reports it could be about to sell tour operator Club 18-30.

Thomas Cook said it was looking at options for its UK and Ireland business, although it would not comment on speculation that this included putting up the for-sale sign on Club 18-30.

Newspaper reports said Thomas Cook planned to offload four parts of its business including Club 18-30 – famous for its bar crawls in places like Ibiza and Tenerife despite recent attempts to create a more sophisticated image.

The other businesses involved were said to be skiing and sailing business Neilson, villa holidays group Style and Ireland’s Sun World.

Thomas Cook, which has around 600 high street travel agencies and a number of other businesses in the UK, said the accountancy firm Ernst & Young was carrying out a strategic review.

However, a spokeswoman would not say which parts of the business this covered or whether a sale of any divisions was a likely outcome.

She said: “The strategic review is looking at the longer term development of the Thomas Cook UK and Ireland business.”