Thomas Cook is Hit by Swine Flu Outbreak

Thu, 13 Aug 2009
Thomas Cook, the tour operator, has reported healthly summer trading in spite of later bookings nowadays and more a £12.6 million hit from the swine flu outbreak in Mexico .

The group is 53 per cent owned by Arcandor, the German retailer. It reported that while UK bookings are 11 per cent less, average selling prices have increased by 8 per cent.

However, like its rival TUI Travel, it is warning of difficult winter ahead, with UK bookings down 13 per cent in contrast to this time last year, even though prices have jumped 4 per cent.

The group does not anticipate achieiving an operating profit target of £480 million, but a lesser one of £450 million.

In a bizzare twist, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has stated that it no longer advises against all but essential travel to Mexico.

This decision follows a reported decrease in the number of reported new swine flu cases in the country.

It does however note thatt the World Health Organisation (WHO) Pandemic Threat Alert Phase is still at level 5. This advises all British nationals to follow local advice on precautions to follow to avoid exposure to the virus.

The Mexican secretariat of health has recommended people to avoid large crowds as well as kissing people as a greeting, while keeping at a distance of at least 6 feet from other people can help lower the risk of exposure, the FCO added.

Even though earlier in August the WHO director-general Dr Margaret Chan and UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon met with more than 30 vaccine manufacturers and emphasised the importance of the vaccines being available to all who need it, it must be noted that an Oxford University 's Medical Research team has condemned the use of a vaccine that has not been tested and warned against its use.

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