Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Specialist Leisure Group collapses into administration

About 2,500 jobs have been lost and 64,000 bookings cancelled with the collapse into administration of Specialist Leisure Group.

The hotel and travel company included well-known coach holiday brands Shearings and National Holidays.

Trade organisation Abta said the company, which specialised in products for the over-50s, was "significantly impacted" by the coronavirus pandemic.

One hotel owner predicted its demise would leave "a void in the market".

Abta said the company had struggled to provide thousands of refunds for cancelled trips.

It added that the vast majority of cancelled bookings were coach package holidays, which are financially protected, and customers with these bookings would receive a full refund.

The Specialist Leisure Group, based in Wigan, also operated Caledonian Travel and hotel businesses such as Bay Hotels, Coast and Country Hotels and Country Living Hotels.


'Gutted'

The firm said on its website that all tours, cruises, holidays and hotel breaks had been cancelled and would not be rescheduled, blaming the impact of the pandemic.

Employee Matthew Herbert said he was "gutted" upon hearing the news.

"It'll take a while for this wound to heal. To my colleagues, good luck, stay safe, stay strong," he wrote on Twitter.



Richard Perry, who owns the Silversands Hotel in Blackpool, has worked with National Holidays and Caledonian Travel for 10 years and said they had been "very successful and brought lots of people" to the hotel.

Mr Perry said he was owed £6,500 by National and would have "to look at our business model again as National supplied around 60% of our trade".

He described the group's collapse as "a great shame" and believes there "will be a void now in the market especially for pensioners who can no longer travel abroad".

Harry Carter, 71, and his wife Gillian have been regular National Holidays customers for years.

Mr Carter said: "I'm upset about the news. Never in all my years of using them have we ever had a bad experience.

"You get on the coach and you meet some very interesting people, and the service you get from the driver is first-class.

"It's like a big family."

John de Vial, Abta's director of membership and financial services, said: "Today is a very sad day for these customers and the thousands of staff who will have lost their jobs.


"The fact that two such well-known brands with a loyal customer base have had to call in administrators is a stark indication of the pressure that the holiday industry is under as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

"Abta has repeatedly highlighted to the government the urgency of the situation and the need to set out a co-ordinated strategy with clearer communication if it wants to help avoid significant job losses and support companies to weather the storm."

Other coach companies sent messages of support.

Runcorn-based Anthony's Travel mourned the loss of a firm said in a tweet Shearings was "long-associated with the golden age of coach travel and UK tourism".


Teesside-based Skelton Coaches urged the government to "help the coach and tour industry before it's all gone".

Atol, the government-run financial protection scheme, said it would be contacting the small number of customers with flight-inclusive packages, which would be protected.

Atol spokesman Andrew McConnell said: "This is a particularly sad day for customers and employees of Shearings Holidays Ltd, a long-standing business and well-known UK travel company."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
×