British airline EasyJet is planning to open its own travel agency to sell package tours, The Times reports, citing sources with knowledge of the matter.
In addition, the portal notes that the head of the carrier is not afraid the bankruptcy of tour operator Thomas Cook, which may indicate a decline in tourist interest in package tours.
In turn, CEO Johan Lundgren believes that having its own travel agency will help increase profits, since the airline is currently experiencing financial difficulties.
"It would be quite difficult to choose the right time to enter the package holiday market, given the bankruptcy of Thomas Cook, the need of hoteliers and the government's desire to protect hotels from bankruptcy. Package holidays have not lost their popularity, it is just that the 7-14 day holiday model is becoming irrelevant," informed sources told the publication, noting that EasyJet is planning to offer holidays with insurance under the Atol (Air Travel Organisers` Licensing) scheme.
Source: trn-news.ru