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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Business
Milo Boyd & Emma Munbodh

TUI to axe 48 more stores after 'unprecedented pressure' of Covid with 273 jobs at risk

TUI is planning to close 48 more retail stores in the UK.

The UK's biggest tour operator said the travel industry and the high street "are both facing unprecedented pressure" due to the coronavirus pandemic.

All 273 employees affected by the decision will be offered new roles in other locations, it added.

This comes after Tui announced in July last year that 166 shops closed due to the virus crisis would not reopen, which was nearly a third of its total.

The firm is not publishing a list of the latest potential store closures.

Have you been impacted by this announcement? Email webnews@mirror.co.uk

Last year TUI announced 166 shop closures (Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)

But it issued a statement which read: "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 and do our best to look after our colleagues during such unprecedented uncertainty.

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

It is not currently known which shops will be closed (PA)

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

The company added that it believes 'holidays this summer will be possible' following the news that holidays abroad will be illegal from Monday, with rule-breakers facing fines of up to £5,000.

"We remain committed to working closely with the Government on the Global Travel Taskforce and look forward to understanding more about when international travel can take place when it reports on the April 12. We believe holidays this summer will be possible, taking into account our outstanding vaccination programme and the use of testing where required," a statement added.

The travel industry has been severely hit by Government restrictions and the collapse in demand during the pandemic.

The holiday firm said in February that it expects to run 80% of its normal capacity for this summer, with 2.8million bookings already confirmed.

It comes after British Airways and easyJet were accused of cancelling holidays scheduled for July and August amid rising Covid cases in Europe.

Under Boris Johnson's plans, travel is set to resume on May 17 - however ministers have warned it is "too early" to discuss whether the date could be pushed back.

TUI’s sales fell 87.8% in the three months to the end of 2020, from £3.4billion to £404million.

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