A major UK travel company has been forced to shut its doors, with all future holidays under its service now cancelled.
After nearly 60 years of providing package holidays, Balkan Holidays has ceased trading as of April 24.
The operator, which launched in 1966, specialised in Bulgarian holidays and offered departures from 17 UK airports – more than any other British tour operator. It also ran trips to Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Malta and Northern Cyprus.
At its peak, the company served 130,000 travellers a year. However, in recent years, figures have dropped significantly, and the provider was licensed to carry just 27,817 ATOL-protected passengers in the year to the end of March 2026.
Travellers currently on holiday with the provider will be able to complete their travels as normal, but anyone with upcoming bookings will have no choice but to accept refunds.
If you’re one of the holidaymakers concerned you’ll find yourself out of pocket, customers who booked directly with the operator have been asked to contact them to arrange a refund. Those who booked trips via a third party or travel agent have been advised to contact the agent directly.
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In a statement shared on its social media accounts and website, the tour operator offers its ‘sincere apologies’ to customers.
It read: ‘We regret to inform you that Balkan Holidays Ltd has, as of 24th of April 2025, closed for business in the UK. Clients currently on holiday will be unaffected.
‘The company remains solvent, but has ceased trading, 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.’
Balkan Holidays Ltd UK managing director Alexander Stoyanov said that while the company is solvent ‘it has become increasingly difficult to be competitive and profitable in the UK’.
In a separate statement he added: ‘It is really sad that the company should cease trading in the UK after all these years.
‘Nobody will be left out of pocket and all suppliers will be paid and I thank them sincerely for their support over the years. I am really sorry to disappoint our loyal customers and the fantastic travel agents who have booked holidays with us for this summer and beyond and have given us so much business over the years; all customers will be refunded in full.
‘Based in London is a fantastic, dedicated team of travel professionals, some I have personally worked with since I joined the company 26 tears ago and unfortunately redundancies are unavoidable. We were hoping to celebrate sixty years in business next year, but it is not meant to be.’
Customers have already expressed their disappointment online. Under Balkan Holidays X post @ScottyThopre26 wrote: ‘Absolutely devastated we WERE going in 36 days time! How are we meant to book anywhere now at this notice.’
Another @vonisred wrote: ‘Such a shame our first two holidays abroad were with you. This was before all the big tour operators started flying to Bulgaria. We had a great time both times. Hope someday you come back to the UK.’
Another user @moorebhoy80 described the news as ‘sad’. They wrote: ‘Balkan holidays were great value for money and never had a problem with them.’
It’s not the only travel agency to close its doors in recent months. According to online data site Statista, there were over 4,200 high street travel agency shops in March 2019, compared to just 3,500 in June 2023, an 18% decline in five years.
Guernsey-based travel agency Trafalgar Travel also closed down last month, after 42 years of business.
Agency bosses said they made the ‘very sad and tough decision’ due to rising business costs and a significant shift to online holiday bookings.
Metro has contacted Balkan Holidays for comment.
Know your rights: What to do if your holiday is cancelled
If your package holiday operator cancels your holiday, it’s their responsibility to reimburse you for any parts of the holiday you booked through them. This typically includes flights, accommodation and activities, but not anything booked outside of that package.
If you booked directly with the company, you’ll need to contact them for a refund. If you used a travel agent or third party, speak to them instead. They will be responsible for processing your refund.
Most UK package holidays are covered by the ATOL scheme (Air Travel Organiser’s Licence), which means you’ll be entitled to a full refund if you haven’t yet travelled, or help getting home if you are already abroad.
You are generally entitled to a refund within 14 days of the cancellation, according to Citizens Advice.
It’s also worth checking your travel insurance too. Some policies may cover additional costs for cancellations.
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