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.
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While those currently on holiday will be able to complete their travels, those with upcoming bookings will be forced to instead get a refund.
The tour operator was licensed to carry 27,817 Atol-protected passengers in the year to the end of March 2026 – and at its peak, served 130,000 in a single year.
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 across the Balkans – including Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Malta and Northern Cyprus.
The operator offered departures from 17 UK airports – more than any other UK tour operator.
The news comes after Trafalgar Travel, a Guernsey-based travel agents, shut down last month after 42 years.
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,” said manager Charlie Coyle.
Bookings before June 1 will be handled to Trafalgar Travel as usual – while those afterwards will be transferred.
The number of UK travel agencies has dropped by nearly 18 per cent in the past five years.
According to Statista, there were over 4,200 travel agency shops in March 2019, but that number fell to just 3,500 by June 2023.
Last month, Jetline Holidays, a major UK-based travel agency, also went bust – leaving nearly 5,000 British holidaymakers stranded.
Many of those affected had booked cruise holidays with Princess Cruises, Cunard, and Holland America, which were cancelled due to a “breach of contract.”
Some travellers were forced to pay again for their holidays or risk having their trips cancelled altogether.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued warnings to affected customers, advising them to check their flight e-tickets, as only some packages remained valid.
However, those who booked only cruises or accommodation without flights found themselves without ATOL protection, meaning they may not get their money back.
“We understand that Jetline acted as an agent for other ATOL holders, so not all bookings are covered,” the CAA confirmed.
Holidaymakers affected by the collapse took to social media to voice their frustration.
One customer said: “Our holiday, including flights, hotels, and a cruise, has completely disappeared. We can’t get hold of Jetline at all.”
Another added: “I was told I had 48 hours to pay again, or my holiday would be cancelled.”
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