Ian Taylor


Luxtripper claims ‘to top £11.9m’ 849


Administrators of luxury online operator Luxtripper, which failed in October 2023 despite its Atol being renewed only a month earlier, report receiving creditor claims for more than £8.2 million but say “this is likely to increase”. The ReSolve Advisory


administrators’ latest report notes “we continue to receive proofs of debt” and confirms it continues to investigate the company’s affairs, stating: “There are a number of matters into which further investigations are being conducted.” The administrators note


“difficulty in obtaining records and files” in conducting their work, having estimated the company


owed £11.9 million when it ceased trading before receiving a director’s Statement of Affairs. This suggested the company owed


£8.2 million. However, it assumed a £458,475 Atol bond would be returned and HMRC would allow a £456,000 tax credit despite the company owing it almost £600,000. In reality, HMRC retained the tax


credit and submitted a claim for an outstanding £128,000, and the Atol bond amounts to barely 10% of the £5 million-plus owed to consumers. The administrators note they


previously assessed the level of unsecured debt at £11.9 million and maintain “this is likely to increase”, noting that just 33 claims have so far been received amounting to


Tipto aims to attract 2,000 agents to its events in 27th year


Juliet Dennis


Tipto chairman Vishal Patel has urged the trade to attend upcoming roadshows as the marketing body bids to reach a record number of independent agents in its 27th year. Patel, who hopes to attract more


than 2,000 agents, said the roadshows not only provided “golden nuggets” of product information but also “opened doors” to better relationships with suppliers. Tipto plans to host 30 face2face Roadshows and four SuperShows in the 12 months from September 1. It currently has a full roster of 25 suppliers, including new member SPL Villas.


6 14 AUGUST 2025 Patel, director of tour operator


Travelpack, conceded more events were vying for agents’ attention but said: “We pride ourselves on the quality of our roadshows and agent satisfaction is very high. Even if agents have attended in the past, it’s worth coming back to see what new products have been launched. There are little golden nuggets you can learn from suppliers face to face.” He added: “We find bookings


come as a result of Tipto roadshows. “[The events] definitely pay off


and open doors to suppliers agents may not have worked with before.” More than 1,900 agents attended Tipto’s 29 roadshows, three


SuperShows and three training days in the 12 months to August – an average of 54 agents per event. The figure is slightly down on the prior year, to August 2024, when 1,979 agents attended, but Tipto held one more event that year. Patel urged agents to return and


bring new colleagues as figures showed almost half (45%) of attendees in this past year were Tipto first-timers, down from 55% the year before. On reaching more than 2,000


travel agents, Patel said: “It is a realistic number and a key target; there are probably many agents


we have yet to see face to face. We understand there are lots of events, but we see it as the start of a journey for both the agent and supplier.” In total, Tipto has held 40 events


in its current 26th year, including its VIP days and cruise ship visits. Patel also revealed Tipto’s plans


for a supplier contact directory on its website to provide a contact for agents to call for training or sales assistance. And he said the organisation was exploring the use of more social media platforms, such as TikTok, to attract a younger audience of independent agents.


travelweekly.co.uk


Number of consumer creditors, plus 250- plus trade creditors


£5.7 million when the Statement of Claims reported 849 consumer creditors, plus more than 250 trade creditors owed £2.27 million and another £930,000 owed to industry figures who lent Luxtripper money in return for future equity. The progress report makes clear that none of these unsecured creditors will receive anything from the administration. The CAA renewed Luxtripper’s Atol in September 2023 despite


the administrators noting that in October 2023 “the cash position of the company had deteriorated to the extent that salaries could not be paid”. It renewed the Atol on the basis


of company accounts showing a near £1.1 million profit for the 12 months to March 2023 thanks to ‘intangible assets’ valued at £3.6 million – up from £626,000 in the company’s 2021 accounts. When these assets were independently assessed after Luxtripper ceased trading, they were valued at £36,000. Without that £3.6 million valuation, the company would have shown a significant loss. Its employees, owed £740,000


according to the Statement of Affairs, have received £121,886 from the Redundancy Payments Service.


Vishal Patel


PICTURE: Michael Newington Gray


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