The Co-operative Group is taking a plunge into the package holiday market in spite of turbulent industry conditions, with the hope that its brand will attract customers concerned about airline and tour operator failures in the recession.

With its high street travel shops already among the UK’s top three holiday retailers, the Co-op on Wednesday began selling packages under its own name for summer 2010 in a joint venture with Cosmos Holidays, the UK’s largest independent tour operator, and sister airline Monarch, part of Globus Group.