ONE OF Ireland’s largest and best known tour operators, Slattery’s Travel, which also includes Stein Travel has ceased trading. Holidaymakers currently abroad with the Tralee based company which operated out of most airports in Ireland will be able to travel home, the owner of the company David Slattery has said.
Most of the holidaymakers are in the UK or the US.
About 500 people who have bookings will be refunded their money or be able to travel. The current trading environment is being blamed for the closure of the company, which will see the loss of some 17 jobs.
The Tralee-based long-haul tour operator founded in 1936 had provided the first direct flights from this country to South Africa and it had also claimed to have flown from more Irish airports than any other Irish tour operator.
It had also specialised in escorted tours – natural history tours, archaeology tours and other specialist interest trips and had also been involved in match travel as well as running a horse-drawn gypsy caravan agency.
Over a year ago it moved to new offices in Edward Street in the heart of Tralee, in a refurbishment of a historic building. Three years ago, in September 2006, Slattery’s bought the loss-making Dublin based Michael Stein Travel, which specialised in sun package holidays, an area into which Slattery’s had begun to move. At the time, Slattery’s Travel said the combined entity would have an annual turnover of more than €70 million and a joint customer base of 150,000.
Both entities continued to operate under their own names.
A notice on its website yesterday said the agency “regrets to announce” that it had ceased trading with effect from September 15th.
“As a licensed and bonded tour operator, any monies paid to Slattery’s Travel are secure and will be reimbursed via the Commission for Aviation Regulation.
“If you have booked a holiday with Slattery’s Travel and have not yet departed, you will be contacted shortly by the Commission for Aviation Regulation. You will either receive a full refund or else you will be able to travel,” it said.
Slattery’s Travel was currently working with the commission to contact clients that are currently abroad, the notice said.
Slattery’s Travel deeply regretted the inconvenience that this has caused, it added.