European tour operating veteran Thomas Cook Group has formed a strategic alliance with Expedia Inc and will use the online giant’s platform to power its city break and hotel-only business across its European points of sale.
In Thomas Cook-speak, the tie-up relates to its “complementary” city and domestic holiday business, leaving it to concentrate attention and resources on its “core” product which is “holidays to [its] own-brand and selected partner hotels in sun and beach locations”.
The announcement also says that Expedia Inc technology will “deliver bookings for city and domestic hotels, either on their own or as part of a city break dynamic package, through Thomas Cook’s primary websites, contact centres, stores and distribution to affiliated travel agents.”
Expedia Inc hotel inventory will also be made available through Thomas Cook’s channels, effectively adding another 60,000 properties to those currently available. Thomas Cook says the new hotels will meet all health and safety requirements.
Another part of the alliance is “an option” for Thomas Cook’s pre-packaged holidays and its Thomas Cook-branded hotels to be sold via Expedia’s points of sale in Europe.
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