Travel firm Tui announces it will close 166 high street stores

Tui has announced 166 of its high street stores will be closed due to the coronavirus pandemic and changes in customer behaviour.

UK and Ireland managing director Andrew Flintham said: ‘We want to be in the best position to provide excellent customer service, whether it’s in a high street store, over the telephone or online, and will continue to put the customer at the heart of what we do.

‘It is therefore imperative that we make these difficult cost decisions, look after our colleagues during such unprecedented uncertainty and also offer a modern customer service.’

The firm has not announced which stores will be affected but none of those which have reopened since coronavirus lockdown restrictions were eased are at risk.

Stores locally include Commercial Road in Portsmouth, North End (which is open), Cosham, Fareham, Whiteley, Waterlooville and Havant.

It plans to move 70 per cent of the 900 affected jobs to a new ‘home-working sales and service team’.

Tui also aims to relocate staff to vacancies in the remaining 350 retail stores.

Mr Flintham added: ‘Customer behaviours have already changed in recent years, with 70 per cent of all Tui UK bookings taking place online.

‘We believe Covid-19 has only accelerated this change in purchasing habits, with people looking to buy online or wishing to speak with travel experts from the comfort of their own home.

‘We have world-class travel advisers at Tui, so we hope many of them will become homeworkers and continue to offer the personalised service we know our customers value.’

Tui resumed its flights and holidays programme on July 11 but has cancelled trips to Spain due to the UK’s decision to reimpose quarantine requirements and travel warnings in relation to the country.

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Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association, which represents staff in the travel trade industry, said: ;We have been warning for weeks that high street travel shops could become a thing of the past unless the Government took urgent action to help our industry navigate this crisis.

‘Today’s announcement by Tui means that ministers must sit up, smell the coffee and act without further delay.

‘We need a bespoke package of measures to save our travel industry. I call on Tui and other employers to engage with our union so we can jointly lobby Government for this to happen.’

Are you an employee affected by the store closures? Email us at [email protected]

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