Baxter Hoare Travel, one of the oldest names in corporate travel, has ceased trading.
Based at London Bridge, Baxter Hoare Travel was owned by Adam White who acquired the business twice, first in 2008 on behalf of Bath Business Travel and then in a buy-out from Bath Travel in 2010.
The company had nine employees, down from a one-time peak of 30.
A long-time member of the Business Travel Association (BTA) board, White told The Business Travel Magazine: “We’ve been fighting and trying to make a fist of it, but we couldn’t continue to go on.
“A lot of other travel companies are running out of air. I fear there will be more failures if the government doesn’t open air corridors soon.”
BTA chief executive Clive Wratten said: “The BTA is very sad to see Baxter Hoare go into administration.
“This is a brutal example of the ravages Covid-19 is wreaking on our industry.
“The company has spent more than a century meeting the needs of the business traveller. The industry and their clients will sorely miss its expertise and service.”
Baxter Hoare was a founding member of Advantage Travel Centres and the Focus Travel Partnership and White was on the Focus board.
The firm was founded as a shipping and freight-forwarding company in 1883.
After buying the company in 2010, White declared: “I’ve long dreamt of owning my own business.”
He made a succession of acquisitions. In 2011, White added travel management company Pressplan Travel to the business, in 2012 he acquired corporate travel agency Holborn Travel, and in 2013 he bought the UK trade fair arm of German tour travel group Dertour.