Bolton’s G&B Travel collapses

Just days after the Advantage Conference at Heathrow, where travel agents expressed concern that heavy cruise holiday discounting is making it difficult for travel agencies to survive, a Bolton cruise firm- G&B Travel- has closed.

The firm said it was ceasing operations as it was no longer able to meet liabilities. G&B Travel has been operational for over 15 years, and prided itself on being one of the largest and best-known cruise specialists in Britain.

The global recession has hit the travel industry hard, and British travel firms have struggled to cope with dwindling bookings and reservations in the last few months. The affect of the recession has been felt globally, with airlines like low cost carrier Sky Europe shutting down. The Slovakian airline abruptly ceased trading earlier this month.

Irish travellers were shocked only a week ago, to find that the long-established Slattery’s Travel firm has closed its doors.

Another cruise specialist, Windsor and Neate shut its doors in August. G&B Travel’s collapse brings the 2009 total for closed travel businesses to 29. Last year saw 27 travel industry businesses collapse.

G&B Travel operated under its Gillett Travel brand. Gillett Travel offered UK clients deals on major cruise lines, including Disney and P&O. Since the closure, attempts to reach to G&B Travel offices by telephone have produced no result.

The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has advised customers who already have bookings with the tour company to contact the cruise companies they are booked with directly. It is expected that the cruise liners will honour existing bookings.