The parent company of Scandinavia Only and Taber Holidays is to wind down as a result of the impact of Covid-19.
Shareholders and directors of Roy Taber Limited, which was established in 1973, said “ongoing restrictions and uncertainty” around the resumption of travel led to the decision.
The company was a member of Aito, the Specialist Travel Association and Abta.
Managing director Suzel Taber-Shaw said: “This is certainly not a decision that’s been taken lightly.
“We remain a solvent company – however the future seems so much less bright now than it did at the start of 2020. Then, we looked forward to further building upon the excellent year’s start that we had enjoyed, and our business was in a very healthy financial position.
“Now, 12 months later, with ongoing restrictions and uncertainty, we have made the difficult decision to wind down our business in an orderly manner.”
She added: “We have loved providing carefully-packaged holidays to Scandinavia for nearly five decades. We thank all our customers, and the many travel agents with whom we have worked, for their confidence and support during the past very difficult year, and for the many happy years we’ve shared since our first full year of business and our first brochure, in 1974.
“Naturally, we could not have achieved so much without the fantastic products and services provided by the quality suppliers throughout Scandinavia with whom we have partnered – many since our first year of operation. We also owe a huge debt of gratitude to our loyal, dedicated and wonderful staff, who’ve worked tirelessly with us to provide the highest levels of service, and who are also very personally affected by these difficult times. I can only state again that this is certainly not a decision that we have taken lightly.”
Taber-Shaw confirmed any customers with affected bookings will receive a full refund “as quickly and as efficiently as possible” and “directly from the company” with customers, both those booked through travel agents and directly, contacted I date order
“Due to the circumstances, we have a limited number of staff currently working, and we hope very much to be able to handle all administration via email,” added Taber-Shaw. “We thank in advance all involved for their patience and understanding.
Aito chairman Chris Rowles said: “This is sad news, and we understand only too well the pressure of the past 12 months and the battles to stay afloat in such a harsh business environment as the travel industry, which has soldiered on with no sector-specific support from government.
“All travel companies continue to face huge negatives such as immense pressure from credit card companies, who hold on to millions of pounds for far longer than necessary, and a total lack of support from the regulatory authorities.
“We shall miss Suzel at Aito and wish her and her fellow directors and shareholders the very best after accomplishing their orderly closure, with full refunds to all who have booked holidays with Scandinavia Only.”
“The rest of us have to hope that Rishi Sunak’s forthcoming Budget finally pulls some much-needed rabbits out of the hat in support of the tour operating and travel agency sectors of the travel industry; such sector-specific support is very, very long overdue.”
Affected customers are asked to email office@taberhols.co.uk.