Amid all the hullabaloo about Thomas Cook’s £1.6 billion refinancing, chief executive Harriet Green slipped in a brief reference to a new partnership struck with Triporati.
_w=800_h=600_pjpg.jpg?v=20230522122229)
Thomas Cook partners with Triporati to inspire customers
Amid all the hullabaloo about Thomas Cook’s £1.6 billion refinancing, chief executive Harriet Green slipped in a brief reference to a new partnership struck with Triporati.
Speaking to the media on a call, Green said the deal was an indication of how the travel giant was turning around its fortunes.
The exclusive partnership will see a Thomas Cook version of the Triporati ‘virtual travel agent’ appear on its website on June 28th.
Referring to the tie-up Green said: “We have just closed an agreement that would have been unthinkable for an unreformed Thomas Cook.
Asked to add more detail, she said the service will provide inspiration for people who arrive at the Thomas Cook website but do not know where they want to go.
“This is a real state-of-the-art destination selection platform. If you’ve been to Istanbul and loved it but want to go to the Istanbul of South America, this will help you make that selection.”
Green revealed that online sales at Cook were at 35% and it was making progress towards its 50% target in 2015.
Last week rival Tui Travel announced online sales in its first quarter trading were at 42%, just one percentage point higher than the same period last year.
Cook also confirmed digital entrepreneur John Straw has taken up a new position as global head of web to help develop the companys ‘high touch high tech’ strategy.
Straw previously started a number of digital marketing companies over 16 years, one of which he sold to Microsoft and one ultimately to Google.
Tomasz Smaczny has joined as chief technology officer from Cathay Pacific where he was chief information officer to support the acceleration of the company’s IT transformation.
Craig Stoehr, a former corporate Partner of Latham & Watkins, has joined from Eastgate Capital Group Limited as group general counsel to provide legal advice to the executive management team and the board as well as supporting the team in driving the transformation forward.
