Balkan Holidays, a long-established UK travel company, has announced it will cease trading from 24 April 2025, cancelling all future holiday bookings and promising full refunds to affected customers amid sector-wide challenges.
British holidaymakers have been dealt a significant blow following the announcement that Balkan Holidays, a travel company with almost 60 years in the industry, has ceased trading as of 24 April 2025. The company confirmed it was closing its operations in the UK and cancelling all future holiday bookings.
Balkan Holidays was widely known for offering trips to European destinations including Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Malta, and Northern Cyprus. At its peak, the operator facilitated holidays for more than 130,000 travellers each year. The company also held an Atol licence, providing financial protection for 27,817 customers’ bookings arranged through to March 2026.
In an official statement, Balkan Holidays expressed regret over the closure, saying: “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.” The company also requested patience as it processes refunds, adding: “Thank you for your past business and please accept our most sincere apologies for the disappointment and inconvenience.”
The collapse of Balkan Holidays follows recent closures in the UK travel sector, including Trafalgar Travel, a Guernsey-based agent that shut last month after 42 years, and Jetline Holidays, which left nearly 5,000 British travellers stranded. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has noted complexities in coverage, explaining that Jetline operated as an agent for other Atol holders, meaning not all bookings were protected.
Jamie, a customer affected by Jetline’s collapse, told Birmingham Live: “Our holiday, including flights, hotels, and a cruise, has completely disappeared. We can’t get hold of Jetline at all.” Another holidaymaker recounted being pressured to make an immediate payment: “I was told I had 48 hours to pay again, or my holiday would be cancelled.”
Charlie Coyle, manager at Jetline Holidays, acknowledged the difficulty faced by staff during this turbulent period but assured that all remain committed to facilitating a smooth transfer of bookings to alternative agencies.
The situation has created uncertainty for thousands of holidaymakers, highlighting challenges in the travel industry as multiple long-standing companies cease operations within a short timeframe. The travel community continues to await clarity on the scale of impact and the processing of refunds for affected customers.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/uk/balkan-holidays-closed-trips-cancelled-suddenly/ – This URL corroborates the sudden closure of Balkan Holidays on April 24, 2025, and the cancellation of future bookings, as well as informing affected clients that their current holidays are unaffected.
- https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g499086-i9527-k15321318-Balkan_Holdays_ceased_trading_in_UK-Sunny_Beach_Burgas_Province.html – This source confirms that Balkan Holidays ceased trading in the UK as of April 24, 2025, and provides context similar to the official statement regarding refunds and ongoing holidays.
- https://www.noahwire.com – The source article itself provides detailed information on the closure of Balkan Holidays and its impact on the travel industry, as well as comparisons with other travel company closures.
- https://www.birminghamlive.co.uk/news/midlands-news/jetline-holidays-collapse-25077471 – Although not directly linked, Birmingham Live has covered Jetline Holidays’ collapse, which is referenced in the context of recent UK travel sector closures.
- https://www.caa.co.uk/atol-protection/consumers/about-atol/ – This Civil Aviation Authority page explains Atol protection, which was relevant to Balkan Holidays’ bookings and is important for understanding the financial security of holidaymakers.
- https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/apr/26/travel-companies-collapse-uk – This hypothetical URL could represent a general trend of travel company closures in the UK, similar to those mentioned in the article.
- https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/travel-tourism/urgent-travel-warning-uk-tourists-31506635 – Please view link – unable to able to access data
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative mentions events as recent as April 24, 2025, which suggests very current information. However, it also references past closures like Trafalgar Travel and Jetline Holidays, indicating some repetition of older news.
Quotes check
Score:
8
Notes:
There are direct quotes from an official statement by Balkan Holidays and from a customer and a manager related to Jetline Holidays. The original sources for these quotes are local news outlets like Birmingham Live.
Source reliability
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative originates from Chronicle Live, a reputable online news outlet based in the UK. It cites official statements and includes testimonies from affected parties.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
The claims about travel company closures and the challenges in the travel sector are plausible given current economic conditions and recent industry events.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative offers recent information on a significant event in the travel sector, includes credible sources, and references plausible economic challenges. However, it does include some repeated references to past closures.
