Thomson Travel Group
Thomson Travel Group was a British package-holiday and travel-services business that grew from a 1965 combination of tour operators and an airline before becoming part of the TUI group.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Thomson Travel Group was a British travel business created in 1965 by Thomson Corporation of Canada through the combination of four tour operators—Skytours, Riviera, Luxitours and Gaytours—and the airline Britannia Airways. The combined operation was initially known as Thomson Travel and developed an integrated holiday model linking tour operations, air transport and retail travel distribution. The business was relaunched as Thomson Holidays in 1970 under managing director Bryan Llewellyn. This name became closely associated with the group's package-holiday activity, while the wider organization continued to expand its control over the customer journey. In 1972, Thomson acquired Lunn Poly, a relatively small travel-agent chain. Thomson subsequently expanded Lunn Poly into the largest chain of travel agents in the United Kingdom, giving the group a substantial retail presence alongside its tour-operating and airline businesses. Thomson was also an early user of electronic commerce in the travel sector. In 1981, Thomson Holidays became the first recorded user of business-to-business online shopping, an early example of electronic ordering and commercial data exchange preceding the consumer internet era. This reflected the group's broader role as an integrated travel operator rather than simply a holiday brand. The company was floated on the London Stock Exchange in May 1998 as Thomson Travel. The flotation valued the business at approximately £1.7 billion, although the group remained connected to the wider Thomson corporate structure. A shareholder-perks initiative, the Thomson Founders' Club, was introduced at the flotation and offered qualifying new shareholders a 10% discount on Thomson holidays. In 2000, Preussag AG, an industrial and transport conglomerate, acquired Thomson Travel. Preussag later changed its name to TUI AG in 2002. The Thomson operation continued within the new ownership structure until 2002, when it was renamed TUI Northern Europe Limited. The Thomson brand itself was retained in parts of the business for many years, but was ultimately retired completely in 2017 as TUI consolidated its customer-facing identity. The former Thomson Travel Group therefore survives primarily as a historical predecessor of TUI's Northern European travel operations, rather than as an independent active company.
History
Thomson Travel Group originated in 1965 when Thomson Corporation of Canada combined four tour operators—Skytours, Riviera, Luxitours and Gaytours—with Britannia Airways. The resulting business was called Thomson Travel and was structured around the close integration of holiday sales, tour operations and air transport. In 1970, under managing director Bryan Llewellyn, the business was relaunched as Thomson Holidays. The relaunch established the name that became most visible to British holiday customers. Thomson expanded beyond tour operations in 1972 by acquiring Lunn Poly, a small chain of travel agencies. Under Thomson ownership, Lunn Poly developed into the largest travel-agent chain in the United Kingdom, strengthening the group's direct retail access to holidaymakers. The company also had an early connection with electronic commerce. Thomson Holidays was the first recorded user of business-to-business online shopping in 1981. This was a business-facing electronic purchasing system rather than the consumer online-booking model that later became widespread, but it demonstrated the group's use of technology in travel distribution and procurement. Thomson Travel was floated on the London Stock Exchange in May 1998. The flotation valued the company at approximately £1.7 billion. New shareholders received membership of the Thomson Founders' Club, which offered a 10% discount on Thomson holidays. Membership initially required shareholders to retain at least 294 shares. After the subsequent acquisition, membership was made permanent and unconditional, but the club was later abolished on 31 January 2008 without notice or compensation. Preussag AG acquired Thomson Travel in 2000. Preussag was an industrial and transport conglomerate that was expanding its tourism interests. It retained the Thomson name for a period, but in 2002, after Preussag adopted the name TUI AG, the former Thomson Travel operation became TUI Northern Europe Limited. This marked the end of Thomson Travel Group as an independent corporate identity. The Thomson name continued to be used in portions of TUI's consumer business for many years. TUI eventually retired the Thomson brand completely in 2017, completing the transition from the former Thomson-centered identity to the unified TUI brand. The group's historical importance lies in its integrated model: it combined tour operators, airline capacity and travel-agent distribution, and its assets and capabilities became part of the modern TUI travel structure.
- 2017
Retirement of the Thomson brand
[1]TUI retired the Thomson name completely.
- 2008
Thomson Founders' Club abolished
[1]The shareholder holiday-discount club was discontinued on 31 January.
- 2002
Renaming as TUI Northern Europe Limited
[1]The former Thomson Travel operation was renamed after Preussag became TUI AG.
- 2000
Acquisition by Preussag
[1]Preussag AG acquired Thomson Travel.
- 1998
London Stock Exchange flotation
[1]Thomson Travel was floated in May at a reported valuation of £1.7 billion.
- 1981
Early business-to-business online shopping
[1]Thomson Holidays became the first recorded user of business-to-business online shopping.
- 1972
Acquisition of Lunn Poly
[1]Thomson acquired Lunn Poly and later expanded it into the United Kingdom's largest travel-agent chain.
- 1970
Relaunch as Thomson Holidays
[1]The business was relaunched as Thomson Holidays under managing director Bryan Llewellyn.
- 1965
Thomson Travel is created
[1]Thomson Corporation of Canada combined Skytours, Riviera, Luxitours, Gaytours and Britannia Airways to form Thomson Travel.
Products and positioning
An integrated mass-market leisure-travel group combining package holidays, airline capacity and a large British travel-agent network.
Package holidays · 1970
Thomson Holidays
Thomson Holidays was the group's principal holiday brand after the 1970 relaunch. It represented the package-holiday side of the business and was supported by the group's tour-operating capabilities, airline relationship and travel-agent distribution. The name remained in use within the wider TUI structure after the 2000 acquisition before being retired completely in 2017.
Travel-agent network
Lunn Poly
Lunn Poly was a British travel-agency chain acquired by Thomson in 1972. Thomson expanded the chain substantially, making it the largest travel-agent chain in the United Kingdom. It provided the group with a large physical retail network through which holidays and related travel services could be sold directly to customers.
Leisure airline
Britannia Airways
Britannia Airways was one of the businesses combined with Thomson's tour operators when Thomson Travel was created in 1965. Its inclusion gave the group an airline component and supported the integrated package-holiday model on which Thomson built its travel operations.
Brand decisions
2017
Complete retirement of the Thomson brandStrategyBackground
TUI had retained the Thomson name for years after acquiring the business, but increasingly emphasized a unified TUI identity.
Action taken
TUI discontinued the Thomson brand completely.
Aftermath
Thomson ceased to operate as a current consumer-facing brand, leaving its historical businesses as part of TUI's travel operations.
2002
Rename to TUI Northern Europe LimitedStrategyBackground
Preussag AG changed its name to TUI AG, creating pressure for a more unified corporate structure across its travel operations.
Action taken
The former Thomson Travel operation was renamed TUI Northern Europe Limited.
Aftermath
The Thomson name continued in parts of the consumer business for a period, but the corporate identity became part of the TUI organization.
2000
Accepting acquisition by Preussag AGM&ABackground
Thomson Travel had become a major integrated British travel business and was publicly listed from 1998. Preussag AG acquired the company as part of its expansion into tourism.
Action taken
The independent Thomson Travel business was transferred into Preussag's ownership.
Aftermath
The operation later became part of TUI's Northern European business and was renamed TUI Northern Europe Limited in 2002.
Sources1 sources
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