While many travel agencies that found specific niches continue to serve their market and run successful businesses in 2026, it is also not the easiest industry to be in given the current combination of lower consumer sentiment and the ease with which most can book their flight tickets and hotels on their own online.
Travel agencies that went bust over the last six months include British firms Great Little Escapes, Salamander Voyages and Jetline, Swedish travel company MixxTravel, French cruise operator Expedis Exploration as well as Boston-based GoPlay Sports Tours.
The latest tour company reported to no longer have its Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing is Travel Bespoke Ltd. in England’s Sussex County. The certification shortened to ATOL is granted by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority and is required of businesses selling most types of organized tours in the country. The ATOL scheme also offers financial protections to customers in cases when a company collapses.
Travel Bespoke shut down after 15 years of selling trips to luxury ski destinations
Travel Bespoke, which also operated under names including Chalet Bespoke, Ski Bespoke and Spa Bespoke, was established in May 2011. It positioned itself as a company selling “bespoke luxury ski experiences” and “truly bespoke ski trips to resorts in Austria, France, Italy, Switzerland, Canada and USA.”
Websites for the travel agency have now been taken down while the Companies House, the British government agency in charge of incorporating and dissolving corporations, put out a statement saying that Travel Bespoke has not been a valid ATOL holder since May 29.
Related: Tour company goes into liquidation and cancels all trips
“We have contacted the affected ATOL protected consumers directly,” the Companies House statement reads. “If you have not been contacted and believe you are entitled to a claim against an ATOL protected booking, please supply your booking details with supporting documentation by email to claims@caa.co.uk.”
Customers with disrupted trips have a year since the loss of the ATOL, or May 28, 2027, to submit their claims for compensation although only packages that include a flight are entitled for compensation through the Civil Aviation Authority.
Image source: Pixabay
How to get a refund if a UK travel company shuts down, goes bankrupt
“Please contact your travel insurance or card issuer for further assistance,” the Companies House states on bookings that include only accommodation or on-ground tours.
It is not immediately clear how many trips that were already booked for 2026 were canceled after Travel Bespoke shut down or how many customers were affected. The operator has not provided a statement on the shutdown or its financial situation.
More Travel News:
- Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
- What you can expect at Disneyland’s new ‘World of Frozen’
- Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
- U.S. government issues strange warning on Ireland travel
A revoked ATOL license can occur because a travel company missed certain renewal verification deadlines but, more commonly, it happens when the business is unable to meet its financial obligations and is deemed as insolvent by the government agency.
Once the CAA determines that a business with a current or lost ATOL license has gone into insolvency, it publishes a notice of the situation in its Register of Failed ATOL Holders available online on the government website. This has not yet been done for Travel Bespoke.
Related: Another low-cost airline files for bankruptcy protection
