Thomas Cook's Chinese owner sees sunny horizons
Thomas Cook's owner Fosun has ambitious expansion plans for the brands it owns, once the global economy recovers.
The Chinese travel firm, which also owns Club Med, expects the battered industry to pick up strongly once a vaccine has been found.
It relaunched Thomas Cook in China in July which it describes as a success with more than 170,000 customers.
This week it relaunched the brand in the UK as an online travel agency but says this is only "phase one".
Thomas Cook went bust last year leaving thousands of its customers stranded overseas. Since being completely taken over by China's Fosun Tourism Group it has been dramatically downsized.
Fosun was already a major shareholder in Thomas Cook before it collapsed last September. One year later and it has relaunched in both the UK and China.
"In China, Thomas Cook has been relaunched as more than just an online travel agency. Instead, it is a lifestyle platform which offers a range of related products and services," Fosun Tourism Group chief executive and chairman Jim Qian told the BBC.
