Travel plan idea blog

XL goes bust: what happens next?

This article on how many in the UK have had their vacation plans ruined by the demise of XL, Britain's third-largest tour operator, makes a scary suggestion:

But the repercussions of the collapse are expected to travel much further. Will the demise of three holiday companies now signal fundamental changes in the way the market operates? As the industry contracts, will low cost flights and bargain basement holidays become a thing of the past? And will the much-maligned but relatively safe package holiday run by mass-market travel companies – derided by a new generation of budget-conscious, internet-savvy, independent travellers – make an unplanned comeback?

If so, will weary travellers be forced to return to the days of being herded aboard coaches by clipboard-wielding officials on their way to the obligatory "welcome" meeting, where cheap sangria is liberally dispensed to disguise the pain of substandard accommodation on a miles-from-nowhere building site?

Posted by James Trotta at September 15, 2008 5:02 PM