According to a statement released Wednesday, fifteen partial offers were filed for the resumption of tour operator Thomas Cook France, whose British parent company went bankrupt in September, all these offers "emanating from tourism stakeholders". Placed in receivership on October 1, the French subsidiary of this tourism giant employs 780 employees in France and owns 174 travel agencies own. All this without counting 247 other franchised outlets that are not concerned by the procedure.
An internal takeover offer
"An offer is being made by the current management team of Thomas Cook France for the takeover of part of the distribution activity and the tour-operating business (Jet Tours)," it says. The fourteen other offers "relate to the takeover of agencies spread over the national territory, and some would be joint or could become," says the tour operator.
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Until the Nanterre commercial court hearing scheduled for November 5, "the judicial administrators concentrate all their efforts on the reconciliation of these offers and their improvements, with the priority of safeguarding the employment and the implementation of 'a long-term project'. "As such," warns Thomas Cook France, "additional time for these improvements could be considered."
A turnover of 750 million euros
At the end of September 2019, the group claimed a turnover of 750 million euros, ranging between 380 million for its distribution network, and 370 million for its activity as a tour operator via the Jet Tours brand. But according to its accounts filed at the registry consulted by AFP, the French subsidiary also chained for years losses: -26 million for the year ended September 2018, -30 million in 2017, -21 million in 2016. At the time the bankruptcy of the parent company Thomas Cook, some 10,000 French customers were on vacation in the world, but all have since been repatriated.