My dahrling comrades, the travel battle is apparently moving to Russia. How very Doctor Zhivago. TUI and Thomas Cook are aligned on the frozen tundra, Russian allies at their sides, Lara’s theme playing in the background – poised for combat.
TCook has purchased 50.1% of Russia’s vintage communist era Intourist. I love it. Memories of grey paper forms covered in official stamps and surly women sitting at old desks flood my nostrils with the musty smell of a Russian romance. Hairy men urged to acts of passion through their love of country, smelly cigarettes and vodka. Da. Da. Horoshe, Vladimir. Poor old Stalin. To have the people’s travel brand snatched by a bunch of limey capitalists would kill him if he weren’t already dead.
Of course they had to do something to catch up to TUI who entrenched their Mottersman in Moscow some time ago. The TUI Russia brand was launched back in March. I bet all this Russian infiltration was probably done without spies and pay offs and phone taps. What’s the point?
It’s taken a couple of British suits to do what mighty Napoleon and all his men never could.
Do svidaniya,
Ivannochka
