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Kosmar Holidays eyes Thomas Cook stores and staff
Kosmar Holidays, the company launched a year ago by a young entrepreneur, is hoping to open on the high street and is eyeing Thomas Cook shops in South Yorkshire.
Jhy Worsnop-Hesford, 24, who formed the company on October 1 last year, has been in contact with former Thomas Cook agents from the area about possible jobs.
He registered the Kosmar trademark when the original company’s owner XL was dissolved in 2014.
The company wants to open shops in Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham and Barnsley and has been in touch with staff who had been employed by Thomas Cook in those areas, after putting a post on the Travel Gossip Facebook site.
Worsnop-Hesford said: "It’s early days, but we wanted to get the gist from people who were working in Thomas Cook stores to see whether they wanted to return to a job on the high street.
"We are in talks with a few landlords of previous Thomas Cook shops, looking to take over those leases.
"It’s not confirmed that this will become fruitful but we have started talks. We’d love to move as soon as possible."
He said Kosmar has been searching for suitable properties in these areas for eight months
"These properties are in good locations. We’ve approached landlords directly and they have indicated they will offload," he said.
Kosmar launched its own in-house tour operation six months ago, with 5,000 direct contacts and plans to add 1,500 more in the US and Caribbean.
It also sells third-party holidays packaged by TUI, Jet2 Holidays and, until this week, Thomas Cook.
Worsnop-Hesford added: "We were deeply saddened by the demise of Thomas Cook Group, who we regularly used as a supplier of packages and flights.
"We’d urge any Thomas Cook agents who used to work in the retail shops in Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley and Rotherham to come forward and register their interest for these jobs should they wish to do so."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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