Hundreds of Brits face summer holiday cancellations after travel company collapses

Hundreds of British travellers may have their summer holidays cancelled after a UK travel provider lost a key license on Friday.

As of 13 June, operations by Great Little Escapes are no longer protected by an Air Travel Organiser's Licence (Atol).

The company’s Facebook page says the brand formerly offered “holidays to the most iconic cities in the world”.

A notice from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) confirmed that the company based in Sandhurst, Berkshire, ceased trading as an Atol holder on 13 June 2025.

The Air Travel Organisers' Licence is a financial protection scheme run by the CAA for package holidays sold by tour operators in the UK.

Under the scheme, if a firm goes out of business, your booking will be refunded.

According to Companies House, the travel provider has been operational since September 2002.

Great Little Escapes also traded under the names Your Holidays, Great Little Escapes, Tunisia First and websites themaldives.co.uk, yourholidays.co.uk, thecaribbean.com and greatlittleescapes.co.uk, said the CAA.

It added: “We are currently collating information from the company and will update this page as soon as possible.”

Customers of Great Little Escapes are advised not to submit a claim before the CAA has finished gathering information.

The closure comes just two months after operations by Balkan Holidays shut in the UK, with “all forward holiday bookings” cancelled after almost 60 years of trading.

The travel provider started operations in 1966 with summer holidays to Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Malta and northern Cyprus, as well as winter ski trips, on offer to travellers.

In March, Jetline Holidays ceased trading as an Atol holder, raising doubts on whether trip bookings – specifically cruises –would still be valid.

Princess, Cunard and Holland America were among the affected cruise holidays, most of which were cancelled due to a “breach of contract” with the former travel operator.

The Carnival brand cruise lines said in a statement: “We recognise how disappointing this news will be for affected guests and express our sincere apologies for the disruption caused. This decision was not made lightly.”

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