Specialist Leisure Group Limited ceases trading – advice for customers

Information for our Travel customers with a booking with one of the Specialist Leisure Group Limited companies

We are sorry to inform you that, Specialist Leisure Group Limited has ceased trading and has been placed into Administration with effect from 22 May 2020.

Specialist Leisure Group Limited operated several businesses that sold holidays and other travel arrangements:

ABTA Members

Two companies in the Group were ABTA Members:

  • Shearings Holidays Limited: ABTA number V6468 & ATOL number 1666.
  • Wallace Arnold Travel Limited: ABTA number C6957.

Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) members

Two companies in the Group were members of the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) – Bonded Coach Holidays (BCH) Scheme:

  • National Holidays Limited trading as Caledonian Travel and Travel Style
  • UK Breakaways Limited.

Holidays that did not have financial protection

The Group also had two hotels which were not Members of ABTA or CPT and where the holiday bookings were not financially protected.

  • Shearings Hotels Limited trading as Bay Hotels and Coast and Country Hotels.

Following this announcement, customers may understandably be very worried. Our immediate aim is to help customers to understand what steps they need to take if they have future travel arrangements booked with the company.

It is very important that customers read and follow the advice below.

The vast majority of customers arrangements are covered through different types of financial protection, these include:

1. Holidays booked through Wallace Arnold Travel Limited

Any booking you have made through Wallace Arnold Travel Limited will be with a travel provider.

If the travel provider was a travel organiser within the Specialist Holidays Group named above, follow the instructions for that company

If the travel provider was a third-party travel organiser, your travel arrangements should be unaffected. Please contact the travel provider concerned.

Your booking confirmation paperwork will tell you who your holiday arrangements are with.

2. Coach holiday packages

If you have booked a coach holiday package, the majority of these are financially protected by the Confederation of Passenger Transport, Bonded Coach Holidays Scheme or by your credit or debit card issuer.

3. Flight package holidays

If you have a booked a flight inclusive package holiday, this is protected by the CAA ATOL scheme.

Next steps

As there are a number of different companies involved – and different types of financial protection arrangements – what customers should do next will depend on who you have booked with; and what type of holiday you have booked.

We have developed specific guidance for each company, which is outlined in detail on the following web pages.

A summary of next steps is provided immediately below, with more detail on the links below.

Coronavirus impact

Due to the current Covid-19 crisis we do not expect there to be any customers currently on holiday with any of the companies in the Group.

Customers who are awaiting a refund due to the COVID-19 crisis or who have received a Refund Credit Note, should follow the advice detailed below depending on which company you had your booking with.

To enable us to help you and provide the most accurate information on what you need to do, please read the following information.

Please click on the company that you have booked with from the list below, which will take you to the specific advice on what you will need to do next.

Information taken from the ABTA website. June 2020.

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