Protests hit Thomas Cook

ANIMAL rights protesters are targeting Thomas Cook shops to stop the retailer from selling holidays to Mauritius.

Pressure group Gateway to Hell has organised demonstrations outside Thomas Cook shops to highlight the country’s policy of exporting monkeys for scientific experimentation.

The latest protest took place last week outside Thomas Cook in Cheapside in the City of London. The campaign is targeting the multiple because it believes it sells large volumes of holidays to Mauritius and has a strong high-street presence.

A Gateway to Hell spokesman said: “Since we can’t go to Mauritius to protest, we are attacking its tourism industry instead. It’s a way of putting pressure on the country and bringing attention to what it does.”

He warned demonstrations would continue “as and when people decide to hold them” and said if the group stops the retailer selling the destination, other agents would follow. “We’re expecting a long battle,” he said.

The campaign has targeted Thomas Cook agencies nationwide, including London, Harrogate and Nottingham, with Trailfinders, Flight Centre and Going Places in Birmingham also being hit by protests.

A Thomas Cook spokeswoman said the protests lasted an hour and a half, with group members handing out leaflets to customers outside agencies. Shop footfall has been affected during the protests, she said, while staff have been advised to ignore the demonstrators. Holidays to Mauritius are still on sale.

ABTA has sent a letter to members selling Mauritius following a protest outside its Newman Street HQ in August. Thomas Cook is also in talks with other travel associations, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Mauritian government about the issue.

The Mauritius Promotion Tourism Authority was unavailable to comment.