The trade expressed sadness this week over the closure of “attentive” and “wonderful” tour operator Belleair Holidays after its owners decided to “call it a day”.
The 40-year-old company posted a statement on the websites of Belleair Holidays and sister brands Chevron and Malta Direct announcing it was ceasing trading.
It is understood co-owners Nigel Borg Cardona and Steve Spiteri have chosen to retire.
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They started the business as a Malta specialist before expanding the portfolio to destinations across the Mediterranean and Asia.
Borg Cardona said: “After 40 years we have decided to close. Everything is against small operators, and we felt it was not worth continuing.
“We are both well into our 60s – it is time to call it a day. We do not have anyone to pass it on to.”
He confirmed “very few” passengers were overseas as the operator had stopped selling winter holidays “some time ago”.
Agents said they were saddened by the news. Arline Sloan, whose business Halstead Travel is part of The Travel Network Group’s Independent Travel Experts homeworking division, said: “It’s such a shame. They were such a wonderful company.
“I went on an educational with Belleair Holidays in 2018. The way they led everything was absolutely wonderful. I sold around 10 holidays off the back of that.
“When you made a call to them they were always really attentive.”
Maggie Bush, an Aylesbury-based homeworker with Travel Counsellors, said Belleair had given her parents free accommodation in Malta when they celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.
“We did a lot of bookings with them [at Pickfords Travel] and I told them our parents were going to Malta for their wedding anniversary and they asked if there was anything they could do,” she said.
Tolene van der Merwe, Malta Tourism Authority UK & Ireland director, said: “They are two guys who have sold Malta for decades.
“It’s time for them to enjoy the garden. They should be proud of everything they achieved.”
The CAA website showed Crownshield Travel, which traded under the names of Belleair, Belleair Cruises, Chevron Air Holidays, Chevron Cruises and Malta Direct, had an Atol to carry 1,500 passengers.
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