Thomas Cook has partnered with Agent Trails to create a new joint venture destination management company (DMC) in Thailand.
Thomas Cook In Destination Management (Thailand) Ltd will begin operating on November 1 and will arrange personalised holidays for more than 100,000 Cook customers who visit Thailand every year.
The new DMC agreement complements existing Cook models in Spain, Portugal and the US.
A new administrative headquarters will be set up in Bangkok, and operational hub in Phuket.
Representatives from both companies are now working locally to finalise the preparations, structure and recruitment necessary to ensure the new business is well positioned for the start of the winter 2018/19 season.
Michael Scheidler, Cook group destination management director, said: “Delivering an outstanding customer experience is at the heart of everything we do. Working with a single partner to create our own DMC, based in this important destination for the Group, means that we can take greater control of the quality and consistency of service all our customers will have during their holiday.
“We already have a successful partnership with Asian Trails in the UK and look forward to building on that for the benefit of our customers from all countries.”
Laurent Kuenzle, chief executive Asian Trails Group, added: “We are delighted at this new partnership with Thomas Cook Group for Thailand that will enable both companies to grow and achieve better synergies for the benefit of all customers.
“The commitment from our team in Thailand to make this a success has been on the forefront of this more intense collaboration with Thomas Cook UK since 2016.”