Thomas Cook Collapses After 178 Years and 20 Other Top Tourism Stories This Week

Thomas Cook Collapses, Ending 178-Year Reign in the Travel Business: The bankruptcy and liquidation of Thomas Cook is a monumental blow to the travel industry. The collapse of the company will continue to have ripple effects across the industry for a long time to come.

Fallout From Thomas Cook’s Demise Will Reach Far and Wide in Travel: Expedia, Webjet, and On the Beach all had exposure to Thomas Cook, but given their size they can probably handle it. It’s the smaller tour operators and travel agents that will be the hardest hit.

Can Thomas Cook’s Surviving Brands Find New Homes? Thomas Cook wasn’t just a UK business: it had operations across Europe, some of which were pretty profitable. They’re now in a race against time to secure their future and find new owners.

Asia Reels From Thomas Cook’s Collapse as Travel Businesses Sort Through the Confusion: Thomas Cook’s tour operating market in its glory days practically made Asia tourism, so many across the region are mourning this loss, reconciling themselves with the fact that nothing lasts forever.

Thomas Cook Is Dead, Long Live Thomas Cook — in Asia: Thomas Cook Group may have caved in, but in China and India, the companies that bear the name are profitable. Why?

Is Tour Operator Cox & Kings the Next to Fall? Debt-addled Cox & Kings appears to be teetering on a brink of collapse. It has closed its Australia/New Zealand operations. Virtuoso has severed ties with it — and a rescue does not look imminent.

EbixCash Takes Over Cox & Kings’ Business Travel Clients in India: Some travel companies — Ebix among others — are rumored to be considering taking over all of cash-strapped Cox & Kings.

Bahamas Joins With Travel Advisors on a Tourism Offensive After Dorian’s Destruction: The Bahamas isn’t wasting any time, pitching itself to the press in New York on Wednesday. It needs to quickly revive the tourism economy to have the funds to rebuild after Hurricane Dorian. Heading into peak season, tourism officials are pushing hard.

Saudi Arabia’s High Tourism Hopes Begin With a Botched Campaign Rollout: Saudi Arabia certainly put a lot of thought and money into its latest promotional pitch ahead of a rumored e-visa scheme. But it takes more than drone shots to kick off a successful tourism marketing strategy — clarity in message matters too.

Why Some UK Business Travelers Are Actually Optimistic About Brexit: Clearly, presenting Brexit from an economic angle versus a political angle has a big impact on how British business travelers respond.

Is Brexit Actually Helping Biz Travel in the UK? Compared to continental Europe, employees in the UK are much more likely to view Brexit as a good thing for company travel. With that said, the deadline for a deal is fast approaching, and no one is quite sure what the outcome will be.

The World Needs Reminding That Tourism Doesn’t Happen in a Political Vacuum: On World Tourism Day, it’s worth pointing out that politics and tourism don’t exist independently of each other — they collide.

Everyone Has a Role to Play in Responsible Tourism, Say Adventure Travel Veterans: There is no magic bullet, but everyone has a job to do in protecting the most remote and precious destinations. Tour operators and guides must work together within their communities and with their competitors to create experiences that connect with guests — and send home passionate ambassadors to educate their communities.

Event Planners Struggle to Balance Tight Security With a Welcoming Environment: Preparing for risks can be overwhelming — but it shouldn’t feel that way for an attendee.

Navigating Event Risks Gets Even More Complicated for Planners: Identifying the risks is only the first step. Coming up with a plan that keeps attendees safe while respecting their privacy is much harder.

Travel’s Green Revolution Remains a Work in Progress: We’re at the beginning of a period of long-term change toward more sustainable business practices from members of the global travel industry. Executives who take a proactive approach will be rewarded for not just being ahead of the curve but doing the right thing.

The Greening of Travel: Read the New Magazine: Check out our magazine to learn how travel must embrace its responsibility to the world. We offer eight tenets to help you make it happen.

Grassroots Is Great But Key to Greening of Travel Will Be Big Global Finance: For all the small steps being taken in travel to improve sustainability, it will ultimately be institutional investors and other big money groups that help the sector navigate and fund a complicated transition into the future.

Travel Advisors Address Growing Demand for Pet-Friendly Vacations: As more baby boomers and millennials take to the road with pets in tow, travel advisors will need to freshen up on their knowledge of rules and restrictions for travel.

Pet-Focused Travel Advisors Navigate Challenges of Flying with Fido: For increasing numbers of travelers, leaving home without a beloved pet (or pets) is unthinkable. While the travel industry has become more accommodating to this trend, the challenges are such that services from pet travel experts are in demand.

The Athleisure Stretch Into the Billion Dollar CBD Market: Athleisure is a growing market, but brands still have to come up with ways to stand out from the pack. However, infusing workout clothes with CBD oil probably isn’t the most viable way to attract long-term customers.