Bookings begin to take off again at Thomas Cook

Thomas Cook has reported the first upturn in UK bookings for many months. With Joey Ramone's version of "What a Wonderful World" backing its latest advertising campaign, the heavily indebted tour operator says summer 2012 bookings in the UK are now only 2 per cent down on last year. Bookings for winter 2012-13 are down 9 per cent, but the company said this was in line with its plans to cut down on capacity.

Britons are returning to Tunisia for the first time since the Arab Spring, with bookings for sunshine holidays next winter up markedly. Greece remains as popular as ever except among Germans, who continue to boycott the country as a holiday destination.