Eurotunnel puts future of tour arm in question

Le Shuttle Holidays, the tour operator division of Eurotunnel, is understood to be reviewing its status as a separate unit within the company.

Brochures for next year are not being produced.

Le Shuttle Holidays launched its first brochures in December. They covered summer self-catering holidays and continental short-break and ski-drive programmes. At the time, former general manager Philippa Harris (now Le Shuttle’s passenger marketing director) was bullish about the market. She predicted 40,000 holiday sales in the first year. The company is not thought to have come close to this figure.

The market failed to live up to expectations of ten per cent growth this year. Tour operators have suffered as a consequence.

Le Shuttle Holidays is run by an in-house team based at Eurotunnel’s offices in Folkestone. It shares the premises with the 60-strong customer services department that deals with ticket sales for Le Shuttle.

Although Eurotunnel says the future of the Folkestone-based tour operator is “under review”, a spokesman denies it is to be closed or wound down.