UK travel company forced to close with ALL future holidays cancelled
A UK travel company has been forced to close - with all future holidays cancelled.
In a shock announcement, Balkan Holidays revealed that it had ceased trading as of today (April 24) - after nearly 60 years in the business.
While those currently on holiday will be able to complete their travels, those with upcoming bookings will be forced to instead get a refund.
In a statement shared to its Facebook and website, the tour operator offered its "sincere apologies" over the news.
It said: "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."
Direct customers have been urged to email the operator for a refund.
However, those who booked via a travel agent will need to contact the third party for a refund.
The operator said it would process refunds as fast as possible - working in order of departure date.
Balkan Holidays was launched almost 60 years ago - initially specialising in Bulgarian holidays.
Clients could fly out to Burgas, on the country Black Sea coast, for a beach holiday.
Or, alternatively, they could visit the capital Sofia for skiing or snowboarding trips.
The company then expanded to holidays in Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Malta and Northern Cyprus.
At its peak, the operator offered departures from 17 UK airports - more than any other UK tour operator.
It carried over 130,000 passengers a year.
The news comes after Trafalgar Travel, a Guernsey-based travel agents, shut down last month after 42 years.
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Bosses blamed the "very sad and tough decision" on rising costs and the shift to online holiday bookings.
"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," added manager Charlie Coyle.