178-year-old tourism group goes bankrupt.

On September 23rd, Thomas Cook Travel Group declared bankruptcy after failing to reach any agreement to rescue the long-standing brand. With 178 years of existence and development, it was a well-known name chosen by hundreds of thousands of customers each year. However, this did not prevent the brand from suffering heavy losses, leading it to seek new investments to salvage its situation.

Thomas Cook là tập đoàn du lịch lâu đời nhất nước Anh — Thomas Cook is the oldest travel company in the UK.

To avoid bankruptcy, Thomas Cook had previously negotiated with several private investors to secure £200 million (equivalent to $250 million). However, no agreement was reached, leaving the company with no choice but to close down.

In a statement, a Thomas Cook representative said: "The company's shareholders and new investors have failed to reach an agreement despite negotiation efforts. Given this situation, management is compelled to take steps to repay the loans immediately."

Trang thông tin du lịch và phong cách sống Travellive+

Việc Thomas Cook phá sản sẽ gây ra nhiều thiệt hại nặng nề tới người lao động và khách du lịch — The bankruptcy of Thomas Cook would cause significant losses to both workers and tourists.

As soon as the corporation declared bankruptcy, a number of Thomas Cook subsidiaries were forced to close. Airplanes were grounded, and 22,000 of the corporation's employees worldwide (including 9,000 in the UK) lost their jobs. In addition, an estimated 600,000 tourists using the corporation's services were also affected.

Specifically, many tourists currently abroad face the risk of not being able to return home. This could lead to the largest mass repatriation in peacetime, as the government will have to implement emergency policies to bring its citizens back to safety. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab assured that the 150,000 affected British tourists would not be "stranded" overseas.

Ước tính có khoảng 150.000 khách du lịch người Anh đang đối diện với nguy cơ kẹt lại ở nước ngoài — An estimated 150,000 British tourists are at risk of being stranded overseas.

The Thomas Cook incident has led many to draw parallels with the collapse of Monarch Airlines two years ago. At that time, the British government had to spend £60 million to charter planes to bring 110,000 tourists home, which was described by the authorities as the largest mass repatriation in peacetime. Now, the Thomas Cook incident may well surpass Monarch Airlines' record.

Thomas Cook is the oldest travel consulting company in the UK, founded by Thomas Cook, the father of modern tourism. Thanks to his pioneering policies and tourism innovations, the industry has become a leading sector in many countries and territories. The group's revenue once reached approximately £9 billion per year and served 19 million customers in 16 countries worldwide.