The merger of Dutch travel agents D-reizen, VakantieXperts and Thomas Cook will create a new Dutch market leader based in Hoofddorp, broadcaster Nos says on Thursday.

The D-RT Groep will have 500 branches and annual turnover of €700m. Thomas Cook will disappear as a brand; the other two firms will continue to operate under their own names, Nos says.

CEO of the new combine, Will van den Hoogen, says internet is the main competitor for high street travel agents. ‘The merger will give us more leverage when buying holidays and we will have a wider selection on offer,’ he said.

Some branches will have to close but their number will be limited, he said.

German parent company Raiffeisen Touristik Group operates 7,500 travel agents and is active in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Luxemburg.