The company was in business for 24 years.
All holidays are now cancelled (Image: Getty)
A UK travel company has plunged into administration after 24 years in business. Groupia Ltd, a Bath-based firm specialising in group travel across the UK and Europe, entered administration on June 16, with some future holidays and events now cancelled.
The company organised a range of group getaways, including stag and hen weekends, golf trips, team tours, spa breaks, ski holidays and adventure trips to destinations including Prague, Split and Barcelona. Since launching in 2002, more than 750,000 people have travelled with the business, which also traded under the names Groupia Golf, GoHen, StagWeb, Groupia School Trips and Company Away Days. A notice published on the company’s website confirms Nigel Fox and Christopher Marsden of S&W Partners LLP have been appointed as Joint Administrators. It states: “Nigel Fox and Christopher Marsden of S&W Partners LLP appointed as Joint Administrators.
The Bath-based travel company offered group ski holidays to customers for more than two decades (Image: Getty)
“The Company has now ceased taking new bookings, and arrangements are in place with ABTOT (a UK government-approved travel protection scheme) to support customers with existing bookings.”
Customers with holidays or events booked on or before August 31 are expected to be able to travel as planned, with the company saying ABTOT has “arrangements in place” and the bookings are “expected to go ahead as planned”.
Those customers can continue to manage their reservations using Groupia’s existing VIP booking system.
However, anyone with a booking from September 1 onwards has been told their plans will not go ahead.
The website states: “Your event will unfortunately be cancelled and is subject to a refund claim.”
Customers who paid by credit or debit card may be able to recover their money through their card provider by requesting either a credit card refund or a debit card chargeback.
The travel company also organised golf trips across the UK and Europe (Image: Getty)
Groupia has also published template letters that customers can send to their banks.
Those who paid using another method can submit an online claim to Gallagher Bassett, which acts on behalf of ABTOT.
Customers making an online claim will need to provide their booking confirmation and proof of payment.
The company has warned that refund claims could take up to six weeks to be processed.