Travellers who had their holiday protected by ATOL have been able to receive a refund for the hassle.
Brits have had their holidays cancelled as four UK travel agencies have ceased trading this year.(Image: Getty Images)
Concern for the holiday sector is continuing to rise as a number of airlines have reported cancelling flights and falling into liquidation this year. On top of this, a number of UK travel firms have been hit which have forced them to cease trading altogether.
While some firms were already experiencing financial issues, the rocketing jet fuel prices and travel warnings due to the Middle East conflict have pushed some companies over the edge. As a result, many holidaymakers have had their trips cancelled, with some not even receiving any money back as their booking was not protected by ATOL.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), ATOL (Air Travel Organiser’s License) is a scheme that protects travellers and their money if the travel operator they booked with ceases trading before or while they are on holiday. This means you can either claim your money back or continue your holiday and be repatriated.
It should be noted that ATOL protection primarily covers packaged holidays that include accommodation and flights. Travellers who have booked accommodation-only or flight-only are unlikely to be covered by this protection, which has caused many to lose their money.
In January, Regen Central Ltd entered liquidation and cancelled all holidays without issuing any refunds, reports the Mirror. The firm, which was established in 2011 in Hertfordshire before moving to London, reportedly lost its ATOL protection on January 13.
The CAA confirmed that Regen Central had no outstanding ATOL-protected bookings, adding that those sold as flight-only, non-flight, or accommodation-only bookings were not covered by ATOL.
British coach operator Gold Crest Holidays also ceased trading on January 23. With all operations being shut down with immediate effect, any forthcoming trips and packages were axed. After operating for 30 years, the family-run West Yorkshire firm cited rising costs as the reason for its closure, and it entered voluntary liquidation in March.
A statement on its website read: “After more than 30 years of creating unforgettable holidays, we are deeply saddened to announce that Gold Crest Holidays has ceased trading with immediate effect and has taken steps to enter voluntary liquidation.
“This difficult decision follows the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, strategic changes in key partner arrangements that adversely affected our business, and a challenging trading environment with significantly rising costs.
“We are immensely grateful to our loyal customers, travel agents, suppliers, and dedicated staff for your support over the years. We are truly sorry we can no longer continue.”
It added: “All future departures are cancelled. The ABTA bond provides protection. ABTA will handle refunds and assistance. Contact ABTA at: Phone: 0203 758 8730.”
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Established in 2022, Asiara UK stopped trading on January 21. Formerly known as Haivenu Tours, the firm offered holiday packages to Asian destinations such as China, Thailand and India.
While no existing bookings were impacted, according to Protected Trust Services the Ipswich-based business has no future reservations booked when the business shut down. The company was dissolved on January 23 through a voluntary strike-off.
The final travel agency to cease trading was Simply Florida, which had headquarters in Glasgow. The firm applied to be struck off from Companies House in October and was officially shut down on January 20.
The company arranged trips to Disneyland Paris, DisneyWorld Florida, Universal Studios, New York, Toronto and Niagara Falls, as well as providing some cruises. While travellers with bookings had their trips cancelled, the company was ATOL protected so customers should have been entitled to full refunds.
