Type
Bankruptcy
Country
Belgium
Region
Location of affected unit(s)
Sector
Administrative Services
Travel Agency, Tour Operator And Other Reservation Service And Related Activities
Travel Agency, Tour Operator And Other Reservation Service And Related Activities
79 - Travel agency, tour operator and other reservation service and related activities

575 jobs
Number of planned job losses
Job loss
Announcement Date
30 September 2019
Employment effect (start)
30 September 2019
Foreseen end date

Description

Thomas Cook, a British-based multinational travel agency has announced the closure of its Belgian branches following difficulties at the transnational level of the group, where unsustainable debts had accumulated. The group is in part a victim of the declining appetite amongst consumers for package holidays. All 575 employees in Belgium are facing job loss after the branch was officially declared bankrupt - 230 employees at the company headquarters, 270 at the local offices and 75 employees at other Belgian affiliates. Local company management initially tried to raise funding (5 million euro) in order to relaunch the company but these efforts ultimately failed

The Dutch branch of the company announced bankruptcy on the same day (30 September) resulting in 200 jobs lost.


Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2019), Thomas Cook, Bankruptcy in Belgium, factsheet number 98720, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/98720.