While dozens of small travel agencies have ended up having to shut down since the start of 2026 due to a tough market and regular cash flow challenges, a small percentage also end up catching the eye of investigators over potential fraudulent activity.
In April 2026, the men’s basketball team of the University of Dallas was left without an organized tour to compete in the United Kingdom after Boston-based GoPlay Sports Tours LLC accepted two payments of $30,000 and then stopped replying to their attempts to reach them. (The team ended up having to fundraise the lost funds.)
In two separate cases in the Canadian province of British Columbia, what were presented as legitimate travel agencies to unsuspecting customers ended up getting closed down by regulators after multiple complaints of customers paying for invalid flight tickets and hotel bookings.
Catalonia authorities investigate travel agency M’Escapo Viatges after customers left without trips
The latest travel agency to catch the attention of regulators is M’Escapo Viatges, based in the fishing village and Barcelona suburb L’Escala in Spain. The travel agency was a well-known business in the community.
As is being reported by local news, the Mossos d’Esquadra police force in Catalonia are investigating the travel agency that had been selling trips to different corners of Europe to locals after more than 200 customers complained of paying for package holidays and then not receiving the ticket as the time for the trip came and went.
Related: Another travel company will liquidate, all trips canceled
As the travelers tried to reach representatives, the local travel agency scrubbed its website and accounts from social media. The Catalan Consumer Agency has also asked anyone affected by a canceled trip to gather any receipts, invoices, and advertising materials of what they paid for to submit a refund request as the investigation proceeds.
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What is happening with travel agencies suspected of fraud in 2026
A dozen families in the Catalonian town of La Garrotxa have been organizing to pursue legal action and draw attention and bring news coverage to the situation.
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Other travel agencies that shut down or filed for bankruptcy in 2026:
- AVG Travels: The Melbourne-based travel agency selling cheap vacation packages to travelers in Australia and New Zealand sent more than 200 travelers an email saying that the trips were canceled before entering bankruptcy in May 2026.
- GoPlay Sports: In April 2026, the men’s basketball team of the University of Dallas was left without a planned trip to compete in the United Kingdom after Boston-based GoPlay Sports Tours LLC accepted two payments of $30,000 and then went unreachable.
- Havantur: Havantur was forced to shut down its main European office in Franceat the start of 2026 after tourist numbers to the Caribbean country plummeted due to U.S. military actions in Venezuela and threats against the country.
- Vegas Vacations and North America Destinations: Two travel agencies in the Canadian province of British Columbia, Vegas Vacations and North America Destinations, were shut down by regulators within a few days of each other in January 2026 after multiple travelers complained of buying trips with invalid plane tickets and hotel bookings.
Related: Travel agency files for bankruptcy, dozens of flights canceled
