The Swedish charter travel company Mixx Travel has declared bankruptcy, leaving tourists stranded in Turkey and Greece. The sudden collapse has caused panic among travelers, who are now uncertain about their return flights and accommodations. The company had 1,300 Nordic tourists abroad and had posted a travel guarantee of 28.4 million SEK to cover stranded tourists. The bankruptcy was partly due to a promised but unfulfilled investment.
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The Swedish charter travel company Mixx Travel declared bankruptcy on Wednesday. Operations were halted immediately without notifying travelers in Turkey and Greece, except through the company's website—information that later spread via social media.
"We received no information and only saw by chance on Facebook that the travel agency had gone bankrupt. We are worried about how we will get home. We don't know if we have to pay for flights and hotels that we've already paid for," says Colin Sahlin, 28, an industrial mechanic from Kramfors.
He is vacationing in Alanya, Turkey, with his partner Julia Börjesson, 25, a truck driver.
"Other Swedes here can't find their return tickets on the airline's website. They have disappeared. Ours are still there, but things happen quickly, so they could disappear. Other Swedes are also starting to have problems with their hotels," he says.
Must Book Transfer Themselves
Colin Sahlin reports that, according to instructions, they have contacted Kammarkollegiet for information about the travel guarantee and how to proceed. He says that the agency's website instructs them to book their own transfer to the airport and resolve any issues there.
"According to the instructions, we should get to the airport and see if we can get on a plane. If not, we should book flights ourselves and perhaps also hotels if needed. It feels worrying and nerve-wracking," he says, continuing:
"We are supposed to fly at 6:20 AM on Sunday morning. We need to be home by Monday morning for work. And we have a five-year-old daughter with a babysitter waiting at home."
He says they have been to Alanya several times before, but this is the first time they are traveling with Mixx.
'Fought to Save the Company'
The company's owner, Ercan Secilmis, tells Sydsvenskan that they currently have up to 1,300 charter tourists from Sweden and other Nordic countries at destinations mainly in Turkey and Greece.
"We have really fought to the end to save the company. It has been tough; I've had it for 16 years," he tells the newspaper.
According to the owner, a promised—but unfulfilled—investment is a contributing factor to the bankruptcy. The company filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday and writes on its website: "We regret the impact this may have on our customers, partners, and employees."
Travel Guarantee of 28 Million
According to Kammarkollegiet, Mixx Travel has posted travel guarantees of 28.4 million SEK to cover compensation for stranded tourists and also refunds for those who have paid for trips in advance. The company has a gross turnover of 332 million SEK and an operating profit of 4.3 million SEK, writes Travel News.
"We have not yet received an explanation for the bankruptcy. They had quite a large operation in Denmark with departures from Kastrup and Aalborg," says Didrik von Seth, CEO of the Swedish Travel and Tour Operators Association (SRF) to Travel News.
Mixx Travel had reserved seats with Norwegian on several departures, but all seats not paid for by the charter company have now been canceled, and travelers thereby lose their seats, writes Travel News.