EXCLUSIVE My family trip was cancelled by Balkan Holidays collapse - now rebooking is going to cost me hundreds more
Having saved up all year, Chantelle Thompson had been looking forward to a big family holiday to Sunny Beach, Bulgaria, due to fly on May 25, 2025.
But the 40-year-old sales assistant, husband Alan, 48, and 12-year-old son Matthew were left distraught last night whenBalkan Holidays - the travel company they'd booked through - suddenly announced it was to cease trading with immediate effect.
'I'm pretty angry,' Chantelle, from Teeside, tells us. 'We only found when Balkan put a statement on Facebook. We've not heard anything from them.
'The holiday cost £1,700, and we'd been saving up nearly a year for it.
'We don't know when our refund is going to come, and if we want to book another holiday, sorry, we don't have any money under the mattress.
'By the time we get our refund, they'll probably have put the prices up on flights too!'
Balkan, which offered holidaymakers trips to Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Malta and Northern Cyprus, said it would aim to process refunds as fast as possible, working in order of departure date.
Direct customers have been asked to contact the company directly to arrange refunds, but expectant travellers who booked trips via a third party have been told they will need to speak to their travel agent to get their money back.
Having booked through a travel agent, Chantelle contacted them first thing this morning - with Balkan having released the statement after her travel agent closed.
'They're as much in the dark as we are,' she says. 'They said, "We're shocked how this has happened. We weren't expecting it."
'They're waiting for updates from head office.'
Chantelle and her family were due to be flying from Teesside International Airport - just a 30-minute drive from where they live.
She says: 'It was perfect because my husband works behind the airport as a warehouse operative, so we could leave the car at the airport, which would've saved us money on parking.'
But alternative flights to and from Bulgaria on the same dates in May are very limited from there.
She continues: 'Unfortunately we're going to have to fly from a different airport if I want the same dates. I've checked online myself.
'We're going to have to go up to Newcastle, which I know is only an hour away, or go a couple of hours to Manchester or Leeds-Bradford.
'My son's also going to have to miss one or two days of school with other flights, as they come back late, nearly midnight, so I can't get back and expect my son to get up and ready for school with only a few hours' sleep.
'The next flights are on Monday, and he'll get back on the Monday afternoon, so he's going to miss school either way.
'He's got 100% attendance and he really doesn't want to miss school.
'We're all gutted, to be honest.'
Balkan Holidays was launched nearly six decades ago, and specialised in trips to Bulgaria.
It offered departures from 17 British airports, more than any other UK tour operator. At its peak, it served 130,000 people a year.
But its numbers have dwindled in recent years, with it being licensed to carry just 27,817 Atol-protected passengers in the year to the end of March 2026.
It said in a statement on its social media pages and website: 'We regret to inform you that Balkan Holidays Ltd has, as of 24th of April 2025, closed for business in the UK.
'The company has not gone into liquidation, 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.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Western Telegraph
20 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
Nigel Farage calls for ‘re-industrialisation' of Wales
On a visit to South Wales, the leader of Reform UK said the resumption of traditional steelmaking and coal production is the party's long-term ambition if it comes to power. The speech came one year ahead of the Senedd elections in May next year, where the party is looking to end Labour's 26 years of domination. Addressing reporters, Mr Farage acknowledged that plans to open a traditional furnace could take years and cost 'in the low billions'. The GMB Union has branded the plans 'more lies from an opportunistic chancer'. Tata Steel's Port Talbot steelworks in south Wales (Ben Birchall/PA) Port Talbot's remaining blast furnaces were shut down in September last year, with a new electric arc furnace being built in their place. 'Our ambition is to re-industrialise Wales,' Mr Farage said. 'We are going to be using more steel over the next few years than we have probably ever used. 'As we increase military spending and as we attempt a house building programme in Wales, and even more so in England, of massive proportions, just to catch up with the population explosion over the last 20 years, we are going to need a lot of steel.' The Reform leader said 'specific types of coal' are needed in the UK, particularly for a new blast furnace. 'We should be producing ourselves, rather than importing,' he said. While he acknowledged 'mining is dangerous', he said the industry could provide well-paying jobs. Mr Farage acknowledged the plan to open a new furnace would cost 'in the low billions' and would be 'no easy thing'. 'It's a massive, expensive job to re-open blast furnaces, we're going to need cheaper energy, we're going to need much cheaper coal, we are going to need private business partners prepared to come into a joint venture,' he said. Responding to the GMB Union allegations that his party's plans were 'lies', Mr Farage said the union was tied to the Labour Party as one of its biggest funders. He said: 'They see us as a challenge, and therefore, they'll be rude about us. 'What you will find is that increasingly, GMB members are going to vote for us, and the more GMB members vote for us, the more upset GMB officials and leaders will become. 'Frankly, the trade unions have done nothing to protect British workers through open borders over the last 20-25 years.' During his speech, Mr Farage said he doubted that the electric arc furnace, which is due to come online in 2028, 'will ever, ever be switched on'. Challenged on what evidence he had, he argued that with British energy prices being so high, it would be producing 'very, very expensive secondary steel'. He added: 'I hope I'm wrong, an electric arc furnace is not the real deal, but it's better than nothing.' Mr Farage said the party's campaign for the Senedd election next May 'starts today', but would not say when Reform would announce a leader in Wales. Regional officer Ruth Brady, speaking at the GMB's annual conference in Brighton, said: 'The people of Port Talbot will see this for what it is – more lies from this opportunistic chancer. 'Nigel Farage was happy to let British Steel go to the wall. He'll trot out any line when the cameras are rolling. He doesn't care about steel communities or steel workers.' Ms Brady said the plans to shut the blast furnaces were made by the last Tory government and the union wanted Labour to 'make good on their promises to our members in Port Talbot'.
Daily Mirror
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Huge holiday hotspot sees big drop in UK tourists after locals 'demonise' them
Benidorm is one of the biggest winners in Spain of the drop in British holidaymakers choosing Magaluf following the party resort "clean-up", local bar and nightclub chiefs say A Spanish holiday resort once beloved by Brits is seeing its popularity falter amid efforts to tidy up its image. According to Miguel Perez-Marsa, head of the ABONE nightclub association on Majorca, young Brits are shunning Magaluf. The area used to be overrun by UK tourists during the summer but now attracts a more diverse European crowd. Miguel argued that Brits feel "demonized." French and Italian visitors, who tend to drink less and spend less on nights out, are filling the void left by British revellers. At the same time, British youths, once the mainstay of Magaluf's raucous Punta Ballena strip, have been "steam-rollered" and are now heading to Benidorm and other "more-welcoming" resorts, Miguel said. While more British families are visiting Magaluf, they're choosing all-inclusive deals, which means they're spending less money outside their hotels, Miguel told Diario de Mallorca. The reputation of Magaluf took a hit following the release of a scandalous sex video in June 2014, involving a British tourist in a bar, which resulted in a year-long closure of the establishment and a concerted effort by local authorities to clean up the resort's image. Magaluf's infamous party strip has been under the spotlight since Majorca's leading politician at the time, Jose Ramon Bauza, slammed Punta Ballena as "500 metres of shame". This came after an 18-year-old girl was tricked into performing sex acts for a supposed free holiday, only to receive a cocktail named 'Holiday'. Fines reaching up to £50,000 were introduced for tourists caught balcony jumping, and alcohol service with meals at all-inclusive hotels in areas like Magaluf was restricted under a regional government decree targeting 'drunken tourism', introduced five years ago. Last year saw even stricter measures, including £1,300 penalties for street drinking and mandatory night-time shutdowns of alcohol-selling shops in parts of Magaluf. In May 2024 the Mirror's Hollie Bone visited Magaluf and was shocked by the levels of debauchery on display, despite these efforts. "In just one night our reporter was offered cocaine five times and witnessed a stag party buying a huge can of nitrous oxide, known as hippy crack, before using it openly in a bar. And previous visitors have urged those going this year to be careful as thuggish bouncers, incidents of spiking and theft still plague the party town," she wrote. "During our week in Magaluf we witnessed several blatant breaches of the new laws. We saw members of the stag party buy two one litre bottles of vodka and gin after making an after-hours deal with a takeaway owner at 3am. The same group also bought the nitrous oxide and inhaled balloons of the gas in front of nonchalant bar workers. "Revellers are still enticed into bars by the offers of a free shot with their first drink. For some young Britons a summer season here is still as attractive and exciting as it was eight years ago. One barman from Tottenham, North London, told us he came here in 2016 and has never looked back." During a visit in May last year, Britain's then-Ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott, called on visitors in the Majorcan hotspot to "show responsibility" and remember they are "guests" in Spain. British holidaymakers form the majority of Benidorm's international visitors. Recent statistics revealed that over two-thirds of the Costa Blanca resort's tourists in May were from overseas, with an encouraging average hotel occupancy rate of 84.7% for the month. This Sunday an anti-mass tourism demonstrators are gearing up for another rally in the Majorcan capital, Palma. The event is orchestrated by activist group Menys Turisme, Mes Vida, with a coalition of 60 organisations confirming their participation. Activists from other cities such as Barcelona and San Sebastian are set to join in a series of synchronised protests. A spokesperson for Menys Turisme, Mes Vida declared last week: "We will demonstrate for the right to a decent life and to demand the brakes are put on the touristification of this island."
South Wales Argus
32 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
TikTok creating more than 500 new British jobs as UK users top 30 million
The Chinese-owned social media firm said its UK workforce would expand to 3,000 this year as part of its 'deep commitment' to the UK. It will also open a new 135,000sq ft office in London's Barbican, which is set to open early next year. The group already has its UK headquarters in Farringdon, London, which were opened in 2022. TikTok unveiled the plans as it said it now has more than 30 million regular users in the UK each month, which makes the market is biggest user community in Europe. Adam Presser, director of TikTok UK and global head of operations and trust and safety, said: 'Whether through direct investment in jobs and innovation, or the wider economic contribution from millions of British businesses on TikTok, we're pleased to be increasing our investment and presence here in the UK, an important hub for TikTok.' But it comes after Cabinet minister Pete Kyle signalled he was looking at measures to restrict the amount of time children spend on their phones, including through a possible 10pm curfew. Mr Kyle was asked on Sunday morning whether he would look at limiting the time children spend on social media to two hours per app after the Sunday People and Mirror reported the measure was being considered by ministers. The Online Safety Act has passed into law, and from this year will require tech platforms to follow new Ofcom-issued codes of practice to keep users safe online, particularly children. Hefty fines and site blockages are among the penalties for those caught breaking the rules, but many critics have argued the approach gives tech firms too much scope to regulate themselves. TikTok's Mr Presser said that, as well as its UK expansion plans, the group also invests 'significantly' in safety. The firm launched its UK operations in 2018 (James Manning/PA) He said: 'What underpins our continued growth is our deep commitment to safety and to creating an enjoyable and secure digital space to sustainably support creators, entrepreneurs and the wider economy, which is why we also invest significantly in safety.' TikTok first launched its UK operations in 2018 and is financially incorporated in Britain. The group was fined 530 million euro (£446 million) by the Irish data protection watchdog last month for breaching EU privacy rules around transferring user data to China. The video-sharing app was also sanctioned for not being transparent with users about where personal data was being sent and ordered the platform to comply with data protection rules within six months. TikTok said it would appeal against the decision. The social media giant, which is owned by China-based ByteDance, has been under scrutiny from regulators around the world over how it handles personal data, and is also facing a ban in the United States over its China links, which the US government has said is a national security issue.
