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"The company quickly moved into the aristocracy and became known as the travel agent of the British Empire," said Mr. Brendon. "It was almost like a part of the public service. It is society that has transported all the most important people to Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. "
In 1928, the Cook family was sold to a Belgian company, the International Company of Sleeping Wagons. When Germany occupied Belgium during the Second World War, the British government nationalized Thomas Cook. Government leadership has been criticized for being slow, but the 1950s and 1960s were years of prosperity for overseas travel.
"There was a huge desire to get out of the greyness, austerity and rationing of post-war Britain," said Roger Bray, writer for Silver Travel Advisor, touted as a website for mature travelers. "People had more money and they wanted to spend it."
Thomas Cook became private again in 1972. Internet activity changed dramatically with the advent of the Internet, making it easier to book a la carte stays. But vacation packages – these global deals on flights and hotels, which have been at the heart of Thomas Cook's business over the last few decades, are still popular. The number of British travelers taking this type of holiday rose to 18 million in 2018, an increase of four million from eight years earlier, according to ABTA, an association of travel agents and travel agents. tour operators.
"If you go back 25 or 30 years, it is true that about 90% of the holidays were organized trips," said Sean Tipton, spokesperson for the association. "It's less than half now, but a record number of people are taking vacations. So it's still a solid company. "
The British government spends £ 100 million, or approximately $ 125 million, to repatriate Thomas Cook's stranded clients in what is known as the largest peacetime repatriation in the country's history. The price could rise, but Grant Shapps, secretary of state for transportation, said it was far cheaper than a complete company bailout.
For those who have paid money into Thomas Cook, there remains only investor remorse.
Neset Kockar, a Turkish businessman, recently took an 8% stake in the company, seeking to play a role in his rescue. After his collapse, he told the turizmguncel.com website: "I did not know it was so badly managed. You can not make as many mistakes one after the other. "
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