Thomas Cook collapse - Q&A - Excerpts from the daily press briefing (23 September 2019)

Q : What are the French authorities doing to repatriate the 10,000 or so French tourists currently traveling with Thomas Cook?

Q : Do you have any details regarding the number of French tourists affected by the bankruptcy of the Thomas Cook travel agency? The exact number? Breakdown by country? How will you coordinate the repatriation arrangements with the tour operator?

A : Following this morning’s announcement regarding the collapse of the British group, Thomas Cook, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs is liaising with Thomas Cook France’s management team in order to identify all of the company’s French customers currently abroad. We have been in close contact with the tourism businesses involved since this morning.

The first priority is to find a solution pursuant to the safeguards provided under current legislation, stemming in particular from the EU Package Travel Directive. The government will pay particular attention to ensuring that the rights of all customers are fully respected in accordance with the applicable rules.

French citizens who wish to do so may consult the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs travel advice website, which is regularly updated and on which an alert has been published (in French)