Thomas Cook Tourists Turn to Bulgaria as Terror Shift Widens
- Smaller holiday destinations may hold key to spurring bookings
- Stock drops the most in seven months on flat quarterly loss
Dubrovnik, Croatia.
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European tourists are embracing lesser-known destinations as a terrorism spree prompts people to avoid established markets such as Turkey and the French Riviera where attacks have occurred, according to Thomas Cook Group Plc, the world’s oldest holiday company.
Countries including Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Portugal are reaping some of the fastest growth in bookings for next summer, Thomas Cook said Thursday. Greece posted a 40 percent jump in sales, while a surge in travel to Spain’s Balearic and Canary Islands has begun to ease. The islands were among the chief beneficiaries last year as travel companies sought terror-free locations.