Thomas Cook revamp features online booking

Travel agent and tour operator Thomas Cook has taken the plunge into e-commerce with the latest relaunch of its UK Website, www.thomascook.co.uk.

Created by design consultancy Fitch and computer company ICL, the site will include more content, with information provided by the Rough Guide series and the company’s own travel guides. A webzine, called Suitcase, will carry regularly updated features and advice.

Users will be able to book and buy all 2 million holidays in the same real-time format as travel agents using the Thomas Cook extranet.

Bill James, a director of Thomas Cook Interactive, admits “we’ve been slower to develop a full e-commerce proposition than we might have been. The likes of Lastminute.com are a great reminder that you can’t afford to sit back in this game.

“But we’re now making a significant investment in this area and have a very focused approach.”

The new site will be backed by a &£1.5m marketing campaign which will include online partnerships with AOL, Freeserve, Lycos, IC24 (owned by the Mirror Group), BT Internet, Sportal and Screaming.net.

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