Strategic Management Analysis - Essay Example

The selection of this company is largely based upon the well known Thomas Cook brand, which is practically synonymous with packaged vacations as well as specific vacation related financial services and products. Additionally the company’s publicized commitment to a sustainable approach both to and within the tourism sector and destinations deserves the due recognition and is furthermore one of the factors for the selection of the Thomas Cook Group. The Thomas Cook Group, as a company per se, was established in 1841 by Thomas Cook who at the time was a providing excursions for fellow temperance members and campaigners and is credited with marketing the first private excursion train (Williamson 1998).

This therefore makes the company almost 170 years old, which can certainly be seen as an asset in the view of competing travel related companies and service providers within the broader tourism industry. According to the latest annual report (Thomas Cook 2009) provided by the company the staff compliment is in excess of 31,000 people, catering to over 22 million customers, and in turn generating revenue in 2009 of £9.3 billion. In addition to offering travel, travel related, packaged travel, and financial services in the broader travel sector, the company operates 95 aircraft, predominantly operating within and from the country of Germany in Europe.

In so far as geographic location and representation is concerned, the group is represented by company owned and franchised stores in 5 geographic regions, within 21 different countries. The Thomas Cook Group has certainly grown over the years, and it appears that sound strategic management has been at the center of this growth, based largely upon acquisitions and mergers to access specific sectors of the tourism market. The analysis of the business’ history and timeline so to speak provides valuable insight into specific strategically related process, and management decisions within the group as it in turn allows us