By ELOISE WALTON and LIZ GRIFFITHS [email protected]
A leading company in the golf tour operator industry, with a strong presence in the Algarve tourist market, announced that it had gone into administration on October 22.
The INTA Group Ltd, which comprises several companies and websites dedicated to golfing holidays and products including 3D Golf, Bill Goff Golf Holidays, teetimesanywhere.com and Jack High Bowling Holidays, announced that it had ceased trading.
Paul Challen, a spokesman from The Inta Group in the UK, told the Algarve Resident on Wednesday that the company had gone into administration and was currently preparing a statement to be released in the following days.
The group, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of golfing holidays sending over 28,000 golfers abroad each year, was a member of the Travel Association ABTA.
According to the group’s websites, volunteer members of staff are on hand to try and minimise any disruption that may be caused.
3dgolf.com said on Wednesday: “In the short term, 3D Golf staff are working on a voluntary basis to try and minimise the disruption. Our general recommendation is if your holiday departs up to 31 Dec ‘09 then you should rebook your holiday with another operator and reclaim any monies paid to INTA Group Ltd via CAA or ABTA. Holidays departing from 1st Jan ‘10 may be protected by another operator at no extra cost in an effort to minimise client inconvenience.”
billgoff.com said on Wednesday: “We regret that The Inta Group Ltd have ceased trading as of 22/10/09. As The Inta Group Ltd were members of ATOL and ABTA, claims arising from this failure will be handled by these two organisations. Clients who booked Flights or Flight Packages will need to contact the Civil Aviation Authority on 0207 453 6350. Clients with bookings not involving flights booked through The Inta Group Ltd will need to contact ABTA on 01202 596699.”
Simon Turner, a spokesman from 4golfhomesabroad.com, one of the companies belonging to The Inta Group in the Algarve, told the Algarve Resident: “Our website has been under construction for some time and everything is now on hold until the situation is sorted out.”
He added: “We do not have clients who have been affected as ours is a property based website. The majority of those affected are travellers but they are being dealt with by the relevant authorities.”
Those who may be affected as a result of Inta Group ceasing trading are advised to contact the ABTA claims enquiries office on 00 44 1202 596 699 or email [email protected] and visit the website at www.abta.com
