The Chinese owner of Thomas Cook is plotting an outright sale of the British holiday brand three years after it rescued the name from corporate ignominy.

Sky News has learnt that Fosun Tourism Group is in preliminary discussions with a number of potential purchasers of the online travel agent (OTA).

Fosun, which is part of the same conglomerate which owns Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, the Premier League side, is also examining the sale of a minority stake in Thomas Cook by bringing in capital from an external investor.

The news that Fosun is considering selling out of Thomas Cook entirely comes four months after it told Sky News that such an outcome was not under consideration.

The prospective sale of the 180-year-old brand which was for decades arguably the best-known tourism name in Britain comes as Fosun has also been contemplating selling the Club Med luxury resort chain.

The Chinese conglomerate has been working for months with bankers at Rothschild on the Club Med process as it seeks to cut its debt-pile.

Fosun acquired the Thomas Cook name and other intellectual property assets from the wreckage of its debt-laden parent company for just £11m.

Read more from business:
WH Smith targeted by cyber attack
Ted Baker-owner Authentic among Hunter Boot suitors

The then London-listed company had been fighting for survival for months as it sought to raise funds to secure its future, but eventually collapsed in September 2019.

A large chunk of its high street operations was subsequently sold to Hays Travel, the independently owned group.

In its full-year trading update, Fosun Tourism Group said bookings at Thomas Cook’s UK operations had shown a year-on-year increase of 340%, equating to 80,000 holidays.

A spokesman for the company said: “We have been conducting a structured review of our portfolio companies since last year and how we can best support their future growth.

“Where it makes strategic sense to collaborate with potential partners to achieve Thomas Cook’s commercial ambitions, we will seriously consider doing so.”

Related posts:

Engineering giant Babcock to cut 1,000 jobs in restructuring Gilbert in bizarre spat with Aberdeen over AssetCo stake Egypt files £600m compensation claim against owner of ship that blocked Suez Canal City watchdog bans major cryptocurrency exchange Binance from UK operations Morrisons’ biggest shareholder ‘not inclined’ to back £6.3bn takeover deal Passengers delayed by more than an hour on domestic flights could be entitled to compensation PM cancels plans to meet tech chiefs as he responds to Gray report Jack’s all folks. Tesco’s answer to Aldi and Lidl is to be shut down Gas costs surge and oil hits $113 as markets fret over supplies amid Putin’s war Fresh rail strike called for 27 July in row over ‘paltry’ pay offer UK service sector records fastest decline in activity since January 2021 Red Bull loses legal battle against gin maker with Bull in its name