TRAVEL giant Airtours is set to launch a major internet venture.

The firm, which employs more than 1,000 at its Helmshore and Accrington holiday booking centres, is expected to unveil the new business next month.

It is understood it will be based around the mytravelco.com brand already established by the American-based Travel Services International which Airtours bought earlier this year in a £240million deal.

It is understood Airtours is now planning to expand the business with extras such as internet banking and loyalty programmes for holidaymakers.

The deal to buy Travel Services International was one of a series of acquisitions by Airtours this year.

In March the firm paid £44.4million for a Spanish hotel group behind 28 hotels in Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Tenerife, Fuerteventura and the Costa del Sol.

The hotels are all in major destinations for the Airtours holidaymakers. They include almost 5,000 rooms or apartments carrying three and four-star tourism ratings.

The Airtours hotel group now has 76 hotels with around 39,000 beds. Most are located in Spanish resorts.

Also in March, the firm bought a coach tour operator in a £23.1million deal.

Rotherham-based Sunway Travel specialises in coaching holidays around Europe under the banner of Leger Holidays.