TRAVEL agent Thomas Cook is aiming to connect with other businesses in Bolton - the town where it first launched a shop in 1890 at the dawn of the tourism era.

Unlike many other national businesses, bosses of Thomas Cook are aiming to localise its activities in town centres where it has a retail presence.

The shops in Corporation Street and Victoria Square — where the first ever shop was launched 124 years ago — are celebrating a year since refurbishment along with Co-op Travel shops it also owns in Corporation Street and at Burnden Retail Park.

Sales consultant Michelle Green who is based at the Corporation Street store said: “We are running our travel shops individually and are aiming to strike up relationships with other businesses.

“There is a perception that it is cheaper to book holidays online, but this is often not the case.

“Our localisation strategy is part of a three-year transformation plan, which means we are more concerned about our local customer base.

“Above all, we want people to enjoy the process of dealing with us. It is supposed to be an exciting experience. They are booking a holiday, not planning a funeral.”

Ms Green added that Thomas Cook has more detailed information about holiday destinations than is often available online.

She added: “We are honest. If we’ve heard bad reviews about a place, we will say so. We also know where new hotels are opening and we’ve got people working with us have had experience of holiday repping abroad and who are in the know.

“We have a long tradition of helping Bolton people plan their holidays, dating back to 1890 and we aim to continue.”

Ms Green said popular holiday destinations currently include Turkey because of favourable exchange rates.

Winter breaks in Tunisia and Egypt, also because of the weather, are also proving highly popular.