Major travel company shuts down leaving holidaymakers scrambling
Major travel company shuts down leaving holidaymakers scrambling
Customers are being urgently advised to check their bookings as the company has been forced to shut down
Customers can expect refunds in the next few weeks
(Image: Getty Images )
A renowned British travel firm has announced it is ceasing operations, leading to the cancellation of all future holidays. Customers of Balkan Holidays are now left scrambling to find alternative plans as their booked holidays, including eagerly anticipated summer trips, have been abruptly cancelled. The company, which was established in 1966, expressed its regret over the sudden closure.
"We regret to inform you that Balkan Holidays Ltd has as of April 24, 2025, closed for business in the UK. Clients currently on holiday will be unaffected," a spokesperson for the company, known for specialising in holidays to the Balkan region of Europe, stated. The company remains solvent, but has ceased trading, however all forward holiday bookings have been cancelled.
"All clients will be notified and refunded in full. May we kindly ask for patience as we process the refunds and appreciate your understanding. Thank you for your past business and please accept our most sincere apologies for the disappointment and inconvenience."
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Balkan Holidays had been offering travellers trips to destinations such as Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Malta and Northern Cyprus.
Those who had booked holidays to these and other locations can expect refunds in the upcoming weeks, The Mirror reports.
Customers with imminent departure dates, including those set for this week, will be given priority.
Balkan Holidays, which previously held a license to carry 27,817 Atol-protected customers up until the end of March 2026 and served 130,000 holidaymakers at its peak, offered flights from 17 British airports – a record for any UK-based tour operator.
Prior to its collapse, the firm had earned a bronze award in the "Best Medium Holiday Company to East and South East Europe" category at the British Travel Awards in both 2015 and 2019, with a three-year winning streak in the same category in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
However, following its collapse, affected holidaymakers have taken to social media to express their discontent.
One disgruntled customer wrote on X, "Absolutely devastated we were going in 36 days time! How are we meant to book anywhere now at this notice?".
This latest collapse marks another setback for the travel industry, which had previously suffered significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued to struggle since, with rising prices posing a significant barrier to travel, especially for families, in recent months.
In March, Trafalgar Travel, a Guernsey-based travel agency, was forced to shut its doors after 42 years of operation, with its management attributing the "very sad and tough decision" to increasing costs and a shift towards online holiday bookings.
In a statement, manager Charlie Coyle said, "As you can imagine this has been very difficult for staff at this time, however we all remain 100% committed to ensuring a very smooth transfer of bookings to another agency," Bookings made prior to June 1 will be managed by Trafalgar Travel as per usual, with those made after this date being transferred.
The UK has seen a significant decrease in the number of travel agencies over the past five years, with a drop of nearly 18 per cent. Statista reports that there were more than 4,200 travel agency shops in March 2019, but this figure had dwindled to just 3,500 by June 2023.
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