Tui jumps in to fill Thomas Cook's gap

As the latest estimates regarding just how hard Greek hotels have been hit by the collapse of UK travel giant Thomas Cook are pointing to unpaid invoices of some 230 million euros, and the government is assessing its options in terms of response measures, the now-dominant European tour operator, Tui AG, is sending one of its big bosses to Greece.

Sebastian Ebel, the chief executive officer of Tui's hotels and resorts, cruises and destination experiences, arrives in Athens on Friday for talks with Tourism Minister Haris Theocharis, other government officials and tourism entities.

His message will be that Tui will try to support its partners as much as possible and fill in for its rival that brought some 2.8 million travelers a year to Greece.

The speedy reaction by the German group shows it is intent on increasing its market share, although it is certain it...