Multiple travel agencies in the United Kingdom, including some that have been pillars of their communities for decades, have had to shut down shop over a snowballing effect of challenges in 2026.
Rising labor and operational costs, the ease with which travelers can book their own trips online and lower consumer sentiment amid an uncertain economy are all factors that contribute to the recent string of travel agency bankruptcies.
British travel companies that shut down in 2026 include Trav Expert, Groupia, Salamander Voyages, Travel Bespoke, Regen Central, Set Sail Cruises, Yourtravelshop.com and TS Travels Group.
Ski Yodl enters voluntary liquidation and cancels all booked trips
Another boutique travel agency, Ski Yodl, was incorporated out of Norwich in eastern England in 2018 and operated as a specialist tour agency by selling package holidays to popular ski destinations such as the French Alps and Sapporo in Japan.
Ski Yodl described itself as “a collective of ski industry professionals driven to create a customer-centric booking experience with skiing at its core.” On top of full booked packages, the company also functioned as a rental property platform connecting customers with “an online marketplace of hand-picked stays and experiences in the mountains.”
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As first reported by London outlet The Express, Ski Yodl entered voluntary liquidation on July 22. This process is the British equivalent closest to a Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the U.S. in that it means the company is selling off assets and liquidating rather than attempting to restructure.
Richard Cacho of RCM Advisory Limited was appointed as the liquidator overseeing the process.
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What happens to any ski trips booked with Ski Yodl
After Ski Yodl’s board voted to enter voluntary liquidation, the company put out a statement saying that any trips that may have been booked for the rest of 2026 have been canceled.
“We do not believe that there were any current customer bookings for package holidays at the time of liquidation,” the company statement reads. “However, any customers who believe they may be affected should contact ABTA by emailing claimsrequest@abta.co.uk with details of their booking.”
The Association of British Travel Agents offers consumer protection for packages that include a flight but not for bookings that are only for accommodation.
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The fact that Ski Yodl is telling customers to seek refunds through consumer protection agencies or a credit card issuer means that it is unable to do anything given its high debt load to larger creditors.
These travel agencies also filed for bankruptcy in 2026:
- AVG Travels: The Melbourne-based travel agency selling cheap vacation packages to travelers in Australia and New Zealand sent more than 200 travelers an email saying that the trips were canceled before entering bankruptcy in May 2026.
- GoPlay Sports: In April 2026, the men’s basketball team of the University of Dallas was left without a planned trip to compete in the United Kingdom after Boston-based GoPlay Sports Tours LLC accepted two payments of $30,000 and then went unreachable.
- Havantur: Havantur was forced to shut down its main European office in Franceat the start of 2026 after tourist numbers to the Caribbean country plummeted due to U.S. military actions in Venezuela and threats against the country.
- Vegas Vacations and North America Destinations: Two travel agencies in the Canadian province of British Columbia, Vegas Vacations and North America Destinations, were shut down by regulators within a few days of each other in January 2026 after multiple travelers complained of buying trips with invalid plane tickets and hotel bookings.
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