Asiaworld ceases trading

FAR east specialist Asiaworld has become the first travel casualty of 2004 after its parent company decided to shut the business with immediate effect.

Westminster Travel Group pulled the plug on the St Albans-based operator – which includes the Asiaworld, Caribworld and Westminster Corporate Travel brands – to focus on interests in its home market.

Existing bookings will be honoured but the company stopped taking new bookings from agents last Monday.

Hong Kong-based Westminster Travel Group owns tour operators, corporate and retail travel agents in Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Asiaworld general manager Paul Tilling said he was unable to reveal why the decision had been taken, but it is suspected that last year’s SARS outbreak severely hit Asian bookings.

“We traded successfully under difficult circumstances. We haven’t gone bust or into receivership – our owner has just chosen to focus on its businesses in Asia,” said Tilling.

He was unable to confirm the number of customers with forward bookings.

Asiaworld’s 10 UK-based staff have all been made redundant, with notice periods ranging from one to six months.

The operator has been running for 15 years but was relaunched in 2000.

Its Caribbean offshoot Caribworld began in October 2002 and had dramatically extended its product range for this year to 46 Caribbean islands with more than 200 hotels.

“These are sad days but I would like to thank travel agents for their support,” said Tilling.