Baldwins Travel has had its appeal against its expulsion from Abta rejected and termination of its membership has been reinstated with immediate effect.
Abta initially terminated Baldwins’ membership on February 17 for “failing to provide financial information”.
However, the association later confirmed it had granted a request for an appeal, noting: “Baldwins’ termination of membership is suspended from February 20 and they remain a member pending the outcome of the appeal.”
Abta members were informed of the decision to reinstate the termination in a statement on Tuesday.
The statement said: “In February 2025, Baldwins Travel Agency Limited’s membership was terminated by Abta’s Members’ Committee.
“The company appealed the decision, and their membership was reinstated pending the outcome of the appeal.
“The termination has now been confirmed following the appeal. With effect from 1 April 2025, Baldwins Travel Agency Limited is no longer a member of Abta, and bookings taken by the company after that date are not covered by Abta’s scheme of pipeline protection.”
It added: “Pipeline protection for Abta principal members continues to apply to bookings that were made by Baldwins Travel Agency Limited during the period that it was in membership; this includes bookings made on 1 April 2025.”
Baldwins Travel director Nick Marks said: “We are obviously devastated by the news. But we are still trading and we would like to still work with suppliers that want to deal with us, so please get in contact. My main priority now is the wonderful staff at Baldwins and our clients.”
Lawyers for Baldwins had argued that an appeal should be allowed in order to challenge the grounds on which its membership was terminated. They argued it was in breach of undertakings made to Abta and the relevant article of association allowed an appeal.
The agency chain had already appealed once, last autumn, against termination of its membership. That decision was revoked in light of undertakings made by Baldwins.
Two directors of the company, finance director Christopher Hatfield and chief commercial officer Dan Shaw, subsequently resigned.