Summer cheer for Thomas Cook

The tour operator said bookings at its burgeoning range of more personalised and exclusive hotels run by the group were 49 per cent higher than a year earlier.

Demand for summer breaks has picked up since its first quarter, with the proportion of its programme sold slightly higher than at this time last year.

UK summer bookings are up three per cent against a one per cent cut in capacity, although it said average UK selling prices were two per cent lower partly as a result of a trend for customers to take shorter holidays.

Its 2013/14 winter programme was hit by the political turmoil in Egypt - a popular winter sun destination - with group-wide bookings four per cent lower.

The group said its programme was 93 per cent sold after reducing capacity by five per cent, but saw average selling prices fall three per cent in its UK business due to an increase in one-week holiday bookings and amid competitive pricing for alternative destinations to Egypt.

UK bookings fell two per cent, but were two per cent higher with the impact of Egypt stripped out.

Thomas Cook said it was offsetting lower average selling prices thanks to cost cutting efforts under a major overhaul being led by chief executive Harriet Green.

It is half way through a three-year plan to drive savings and return the group to profit.

In November, Ms Green outlined plans for a further wave of cost reductions, having already slashed its network of UK travel agencies from more than 1,100 to 874, leading to about 2,500 job losses.

The group said the plans were delivering savings ahead of schedule and should help profit margins increase more than selling prices over the full-year.

Ms Green said: “The continuing transformation of Thomas Cook, including the delivery of our strategic targets, remains our top priority.”

She added the group would provide a full update on its cost cutting programme at half-year results on May 15.