The agency’s retail managers’ conference was due to take place on the Algarve on 10-14 October. Around 80 staff and 25 suppliers were due to attend the event at the Iberostar Selection in Lagos.

Natalie Turner, head of branches for Co-operative Travel, the travel retail division of Midcounties Co-operative, said:

“At this time, our top priority is to ensure that the Co-operative Travel head office team, the store managers of our 58 branches and their colleagues are fully available to support any customers whose holidays have been affected by the Thomas Cook closure.

“We are working to re-schedule the Co-operative Travel conference for a later date.

“Our thoughts are with the Thomas Cook employees who have sadly lost their jobs, and we are reaching out to them to offer support and to invite them to speak to us about recruitment opportunities within the Co-operative Travel branches.

“We conducted a dedicated recruitment day for Thomas Cook employees on 26 September in Walsall, which proved to be welcoming, productive and positive.”

The news came hours after Hays cancelled its event in Turkey, which was scheduled for 16-19 October.

Both agencies say they need more time to digest the fallout from Cook’s collapse, although many Hays’ delegates were due to travel on Thomas Cook Airlines to the event in Kemer.