Tui Group has confirmed it will close a further 48 shops across the UK as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to hit the travel sector.

The move follows the closure of 166 Tui shops announced in July 2020 which affected up to 900 jobs.

The latest decision will impact on 273 staff, but the company said it would instead offer approximately 290 new opportunities, broadly split between full and part-time roles.

A statement from Tui said the travel industry and the British high street are both facing unprecedented pressure.

It added: “All colleagues at risk of redundancy will be offered roles in other stores where there are vacancies, or in the new homeworking retail and contact centre team.

“We want to be in the best position to provide excellent customer service, whether it is in a high street store, over the telephone or online, and will continue to put the customer at the heart of what we do.

“It is therefore imperative that we make these difficult cost decisions and do our best to look after our colleagues during such unprecedented uncertainty.”

Tui said it believed Covid-19 had only strengthened a change in purchasing habits, with people looking to buy online or wishing to speak with travel experts from the comfort of their own home.

Information on which of the 362 existing Tui shops would close was not revealed.

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