Between low consumer sentiment and technological advances that made it significantly easier for people to book travel without an agent over the last two decades, operating a travel agency in 2026 is an increasingly risky endeavor.

Agencies forced to shut down in bankruptcy in recent months include British firms Great Little Escapes and Jetline, Swedish travel company MixxTravel, and French cruise operator Expedis Exploration.

Boston-based GoPlay Sports Tours LLC also recently ended operations after collecting two payments of $30,000 from the University of Dallas men’s basketball team for a trip to play in the United Kingdom.

Salamander Voyages enters administration, shuts down

The latest travel company to file for administration, the United Kingdom’s administrative process most closely resembling Chapter 11 in the U.S., is Belfast-based Salamander Voyages.

Launched out of Northern Ireland about 2003, the company offered curated luxury tours and private sailing cruises to Mediterranean countries such as Croatia, Italy, and Greece, as well as some locations in Asia.

Related: Tour company goes into liquidation and cancels all trips

As I previously wrote, Scott Murray and Ian Davison of Keenan Corporate Finance Ltd. were assigned as joint administrators overseeing the process for the company.

The key difference between administration and Chapter 11 is that in the former, independent agents are immediately assigned to oversee the company’s finances, instead of giving the company a chance to retain control as it works to improve its financial state.

Salamander Voyages sold private sailing trips to Greece, among other countries.

“Salamander Voyages has taken the difficult decision to close its doors”

Image source: Shutterstock “After 23 years of wonderful sailing in the Aegean Sea, we are very sad to announce Salamander Voyages has taken the difficult decision to close its doors,” the travel agency now states on its website.

These travel companies went bankrupt in recent months:

  • Great Little Escapes: The British travel company filed for bankruptcy after running up losses of £77,000 ($103,000 USD).
  • Unitravel Kft: The Budapest-based tour operator blamed “new, foreign companies enter[ing] Hungary with huge financial resources” for a financial breakdown that led to it having to suddenly cancel trips that in some cases were already halfway through.
  • MixxTravel: The Malmö-based travel company was forced to cancel trips and wind down operations after being declared bankrupt by a judge in August 2025.
  • Tango Travel: The Icelandic tour operator went bust in November 2025 after major partner Play Airlines filed for bankruptcy and ceased operations a month earlier; many of the packages Tango sold included tickets from the defunct airline.
  • New Era Travel: Ceased operations in November 2025. The Hampshire-based tour operator took British travelers to Spain, Australia, and Las Vegas, among other destinations.

Without elaborating on which future trips are affected, Salamander Voyages’ note directs those with disrupted travel to contact the Joint Administrators’ office with claims.

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More Travel News: Since a company that reaches the point of shutdown is usually already deep in debt, travelers who lost money on trips usually have no other option but to seek help from the bankruptcy process or consumer protection agencies.

“When a company goes into administration, they have entered a legal process with the aim of achieving one of the statutory objectives of an administration,” the Companies House said in its own statement.

“This may be to rescue a viable business that is insolvent due to cash flow problems. An appointment of an administrator (a licensed insolvency practitioner) will be made by directors, a creditor, or the court to fulfill the administration process.”

Related: Travel company shuts down in bankruptcy, passengers stranded