Thomas Cook and The Co-operative Travel are planning a joint overseas retail conference subject to their newly announced joint venture being approved in December.
The move will see Co-operative Travel shop managers joining Thomas Cook travel agents in Turkey this December at the multiple’s annual retail conference.
Following last month’s announcement of the two companies plans to merge their retail businesses, both companies have confirmed they are considering merging Cook’s retail conference, which attracts around 2,000 members of staff, with the Co-operative’s event which is open to managers from the retailer’s 400 stores.
Travel Weekly understands plans for the joint conference, which would take place in Turkey on December 9-15 are well advanced, although it is still technically subject to the merger being ratified by European competition authorities on December 1.
A Thomas Cook spokesman said: “This is one of the options being considered as we plan our December conference although the deal still needs to be approved.”
A spokesman for Co-operative Travel added: “As far as the Co-operative Travel is concerned we have an annual conference every year about that time in Manchester. In the light of the recent announcement it makes sense to have a shared conference as an option.”