United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
River cruise specialist in administration
Coach and river cruise specialist Phoenix Holidays has ceased trading, following a sharp drop in bookings, with the loss of 23 jobs in the UK and 31 in France.
Around 20 employees at the Gloucester-based business, part of the Take Me Too Group, were told the operator was calling in the administrators last Friday. A handful of staff had already been made redundant earlier in the week.
They are all believed to have been told they were losing their jobs with immediate effect and would receive no redundancy pay.
Phoenix Holidays was founded in 2008 following the collapse of Travelscope the previous year by two former Travelscope managers, Darren Parris and Anu Desai.
In Septemer last year the company claimed to have seen a 400% increase in bookings but administrators PR Booth & Co said the decision had been taken to close the business following a drop in bookings during the fourth quarter of 2011.
No customers are currently abroad and all those with future bookings should get their money back as Phoenix held a trust account where payments were kept until holidays had been completed.
By Linsey McNeill
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Mark Jaronski of Explore Georgia on FIFA World Cup 2026
Connecting Small Businesses to Global Tourism Markets: Nate Huff of Tourism Exchange
North Carolina’s Resilience: Wit Tuttell on Recovery and Tourism
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
BA suspending all Heathrow to Abu Dhabi flights
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Woman dies after going overboard in English Channel
Foreign Office issues travel advisory for winter sun destinations