Brits due to travel over the summer have been thrown into a panic after a major tour operator has announced it has gone into insolvency, causing many of its partners to also have issues
Holidaymakers are being urged to double-check their bookings as one of Europe’s leading travel giants has gone bust, resulting in a wave of summer holiday cancellations.
Europe’s third-largest tour operator FTI Group filed for insolvency in Germany. The firm is the parent company of two holiday providers that supply Loveholidays, which has admitted some of its customers may be impacted by the news.
In a statement, Loveholidays said: “Earlier this week the FTI Group, the parent company of our partners Youtravel and Meeting Point, filed for insolvency. This means that a small portion of our customers’ accommodation and transfer arrangements may be affected. However, we’re working hard to honour these bookings with other partners to minimise disruption to any holidays.
“We are aware that a small number of hotels are asking our customers to pay for their rooms again. Loveholidays is absolutely committed to covering these costs and we are working with affected customers, and the hotels involved, to make sure this happens.
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“If you are on holiday and need our support: Please contact our On Holiday Support Team by calling the number in your booking documents. If you’re travelling with us soon and are wondering if your holiday is affected: Please don’t worry. There is nothing you need to do – our team is working hard to honour any impacted bookings with another partner.”
One frustrated Facebook user commented: “This is so bad. My mum is stuck in Turkey… I think the customer service is disgusting.”
The FTI Group announced that from June 4 onwards, it will be forced to cancel or only partially fulfil all booked trips, leaving potentially thousands of travellers abandoned this summer season. The company also clarified that bookings made with external providers, such as TUI and Alltours, will not be impacted.
The FTI Group, which has over 11,000 staff members worldwide, offered tours to over 40 international destinations through its 10,000 agency partners in Germany. On its website, FTI states: “All departures up to and including 10 June 2024 are cancelled. Whether trips starting from 11 June 2024 can take place is currently being checked.
“[We] know what a difficult and emotionally stressful situation the holidaymakers affected are now in and together we are doing everything we can to find quick and good solutions for the customers in order to avert as much damage as possible”, said the provisional insolvency administrator Axel Bierbach.
“Top priority would be given to the approximately 60,000 holidaymakers who are currently travelling to the destinations”, he added. “We are working at full speed to explore all possibilities to have the booked trips carried out as planned by other travel providers from the earliest possible date. We hope to find a solution for travel from 1 July at the latest.”
Loveholidays have been contacted for further comment.
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