ARTAC Worldchoice agents will not be forced to directionally sell even when they become aligned with the Thomas Cook group, according to chairman Colin Heal.
ARTACalliance partner Carlson Worldchoice is expected to complete its merger with Thomas Cook by the middle of February.
As the independent agents’ consortium begins to step up its recruitment drive, Heal said members will not be under pressure to increase sales of tour operators owned by Thomas Cook.
“Carlson Worldchoice travel agencies which are being rebranded to Thomas Cook will be pushing the likes of Sunset and Sunworld but we will have a much softer approach,” insisted Heal.
“Thomas Cook will have 800 shops with the Carlson outlets which is enough to sustain its tour operating market share. That allows us to be totally independent and sell a far wider selection of product.”
Industry observers believe the only reason for Airtours acquisition of Travelworld and Thomson’s Preferred Agent Scheme is that their in-house chains, Going Places and Lunn Poly, cannot sustain their tour operating market share.