Tynedale Group Travel has ended its coach tour offering after 30 years, blaming Covid for forcing the “difficult decision”.
The coach tour operator, based in Haltwhistle, Northumberland, said Covid has reduced the quality of the product and services offered by hotels and attractions, no longer meeting the expectations of its customers.
Tynedale Group Travel said it battled some “very dark days of Covid lockdown in 2020” but was motivated by reaching its 30th anniversary on July 3 this year, however, it has now announced it will end its tour offering to avoid giving its customers a low-quality service.
MORE: Welsh coach tour operator ceases trading after 27 years
The operator’s final tour will be a four-night Holly and Mistletoe break to Llandudno departing on December 11.
In a post on the company’s Facebook page, directors Andy and Cath Sinclair wrote: “After 30 years of providing and operating tours around the UK, Ireland, Europe and as far away as New Zealand and Canada, we are sad to announce that it’s time for us to put our suitcases away.
“As the travel and hospitality industry struggle to recover from the results of Covid, we feel that often the product and service offered post-Covid by hotels and attractions does not match both our and your expectations, therefore we have taken the difficult decision to end our years of touring – 2022 will be our last season operating coach tours.”
The Tynedale brand will now concentrate on offering “VIP travel” to the North East’s sports teams and corporate market.
The directors added: “Over the years we have met thousands of customers who have become friends and we have worked with some amazing suppliers and business colleagues. A special thank you to the staff who have joined us along the way as none of it would have been possible without them all.”