German travel giants battle for Thomson

The Scotsman May 13, 2000 | Martin Flanagan City Editor GERMANY’S top two travelfirms are set for a bidding battle for Thomson Travel after Preussag, Europe’s largest holiday firm, surprised the market by making an approach.

The dramatic twist came as C&N Touristic put in an increased 160p- a-share indicative offer for the British group.

The approach by Preussag, German’s largest tour operator, and a fierce rival of C&N, would almost certainly prompt a competition referral since it controls Thomas Cook, another major UK holiday business.

The move came as a bombshell to the market only hours after Thomson finally agreed to talks with C&N on the back of the possible increased bid at 160p a share. It would value Britain’s biggest holidays group at GBP 1.6 billion.

Two previous indicative offers by C&N, at 130p and 145p a share, had been rejected as a basis for talks by Thomson’s board, led by chief executive Charles Gurassa.

A spokesman for C&N, jointly owned by German retailer Karstadt and the Deutsche Lufthansa airline, confirmed yesterday that talks had started between its investment banks, Lazards and Commerzbank, and Thomson’s financial advisers, Dresdner Kleinwort.

He said: “We have a clear price on the table, and are up front with our willingness to proceed. But now, of course, the new issue is hovering away in the background.” Goldman Sachs, the American investment bank, was understood to be buying shares in Thomson in the stock market on behalf of Preussag, with an estimated 60 million, or 6 per cent, of the target snapped up. go to web site bidding for travel

On news of the new potential bidder, shares in Thomson soared, closing the session up 19.25p, or 13 per cent, at 162.25p.

Volume was a heady 136 million shares. Shares in another leading holiday operator, First Choice Holidays, closed up 12.5p, or 9 per cent, at 146.5p on speculation there might be further takeovers in the sector. here bidding for travel

Preussag’s move puzzled many City leisure analysts and industry executives because of the obvious regulatory hurdles linked to its ownership of Thomas Cook, the fourth-biggest British holidays group, and its move now to take over the number one player.

Last year the European Commission regulators threw out a bid by Airtours, Britain’s second-biggest holidays group, for First Choice, because they did not want consumer choice restricted to three, rather than four, major players.

One source close to the current negotiations said: “If they were not happy about the number two and three businesses joining up, why are they going to be any happier with Thomson and Thomas Cook performing the same trick, the first and fourth-biggest UK tour operators respectively?” Phil Davies, editor of Travel Trade Gazette, said: “The whole travel industry is mystified and bemused by this because of the obvious potential regulatory hurdles of putting Thomson and Thomas Cook together.

“It’s tempting to think Preussag may just be trying to queer C&N’s pitch rather than to seriously make a move at these prices on Thomson.” Industry sources said C&N had been prompted to offer a slightly higher-than-expected 160p price after Airtours confirmed this week it was looking to expand in Germany.

The founding Canadian Thomson family holds around 23 per cent of Thomson Travel, and is seen as supportive of the Thomson management, while 20 per cent of the shares are held by 500,000-plus small shareholders, who bought into the company at the 170p flotation price two years ago.

Earlier this week, Airtours said it was in talks with Swiss aviation conglomerate SAirGroup over a possible combination of interests in Germany. The talks concern FTI Touristik, where Airtours owns nearly 36 percent, and ailing tour operator LTU, in which SAirGroup holds a 49.9 per cent stake.

Martin Flanagan City Editor