The owners of Hays Travel have said they will re-open as many former Thomas Cook shops as possible with the Hays livery.
The independent agency chain has already opened a recruitment hotline for former Thomas Cook agency staff following its takeover of the 555-shop network.
The owners of the Sunderland-based independent agency group, which currently has 190 branches, has already taken on more than 400 ex-Thomas Cook workers.
John and Irene Hays said: “We are delighted that Hays Travel has been successful in acquiring all of the Thomas Cook shops in the UK meaning that we can now offer opportunities to more people.
“We have already recruited over 400 talented former Thomas Cook employees and we are ready to welcome many more of the retail branch staff.
“This news means that we can begin to re-open Thomas Cook stores, in their new Hays livery, from today. We aim to open as many as we logistically can as soon as possible.”
They added: “We are very grateful to all our Hays Travel colleagues who have worked their socks off to help make this happen over the last two weeks.
“We know how devastating it must have been – many of you have shared your experiences with us and it has been an emotional time for all of us.
“In coming to Hays Travel you can be assured that we will be doing our utmost to build upon all that was good about the much-loved Thomas Cook brand. And we will share with you our own strong values and belief in our people as we work together to ensure a smooth transition for the whole of the business.”
The helpline for recruitment inquiries is: 0800 215 5995 or via a dedicated website at: www.haystravel.co.uk/careers