Four travel companies have gone out of business in 2026, resulting in numerous vacationers having their bookings canceled. The surge in jet fuel costs following the Iran crisis and the uncertain global travel landscape due to travel advisories have put additional pressure on travel firms, potentially pushing more to the edge. When holiday companies collapse, travelers face the loss of both their planned trips and their money unless their operator was safeguarded by ATOL protection.
In January, Regen Central Ltd, initially based in Hertfordshire before moving to London, went into liquidation and voided all holiday reservations without providing refunds. The company lost its ATOL protection on January 13, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which verified that Regen Central had no outstanding ATOL-covered bookings. Bookings sold as accommodation only, non-flight, or flight-only are not covered by ATOL.
On January 23, Gold Crest Holidays, a family-run business operating in West Yorkshire for 30 years, announced its closure due to escalating costs. The company, which abruptly ceased operations, terminated all upcoming trips and packages. In a statement on their website, they expressed deep regret over the decision, attributing it to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in key partnerships, and rising operational expenses.
Gold Crest Holidays advised customers that all future departures were canceled and that ABTA would handle refunds and assistance. The company officially entered voluntary liquidation in March as documented by Companies House.
Asiara UK, formerly known as Haivenu Tours, established in 2022, ceased trading on January 21. The Ipswich-based company, offering holiday packages to Asian destinations like China, Thailand, and India, had no future bookings at the time of closure, thus not affecting existing reservations. The firm was dissolved through voluntary strike-off on January 23.
Simply Florida, a travel agency in Glasgow, Scotland, arranging trips to various destinations such as Disneyland Paris, DisneyWorld Florida, and cruises, ceased trading on January 20. Despite having ATOL protection, travelers with existing bookings had their trips canceled and were entitled to full refunds.
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