Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Alma Tour suspends operations

Tour operator Alma Tour has announced that it is temporarily suspending operations, Bulgarian-language daily Dnevnik said on September 20 2011, after earlier unconfirmed reports said that all companies in the Alma Tour were declaring bankruptcy.

Alma Tour hit the headlines after Bulgaria Air announced on September 9 that it was refusing to carry passengers whose tickets had been booked by the company because the firm owed seven million leva in arrear debt to the airline.

Bulgaria Air’s decision left several hundred foreign tourists, mainly Russians, stranded at Bulgaria’s Black Sea airports at Bourgas and Varna and special measures were taken by the Bulgarian Government, tour operators and other bodies to get the tourists home.

Dnevnik quoted Alma Tour’s website as saying that the temporary suspension was because of "temporary financial difficulties".

Reports quoted an Alma Tour media statement as saying that as from September 22, all bookings made through Alma Tour were cancelled.

Earlier, Focus news agency, quoting Bulgarian National Radio, said that all companies of Alma Tour Group had declared bankruptcy as of September 20.

The companies had submitted bankruptcy declarations in court on September 20, the reports said.

According to law the major share would be acquired by Alma Tour’s largest-scale creditor, Central Cooperative Bank, where Alma Tour AD had lodged all its assets against 26 million leva.

Among the assets of Alma Tour there are hotels on the Black Sea and in the mountain resort of Bansko, the report said.

However, Dnevnik said that the Sofia City Court denied having received any such documents.

Alma Tour, on its site, expressed thanks for the 20 years of trust its clients had placed in it. But at the moment it could not accept reservations.

Details about the term in which reimbursements for reservations would be given later.

It advised people to contact the Consumer Protection Commission.

The Economy Ministry was to hold a news conference on the topic, Dnevnik said.

http://www.sofiaecho.com

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