The authority said Golf Travel Group held an Atol until 30 September 2024 and on Monday (31 March) formally classified it as a “failed Atol holder”.
However, the operator’s managing director Patrick McCaghy told TTG the business continued to trade as only 15% of its 20,000 passengers were covered by Atol, with the rest being under Abta’s bond.
“We are re-routing through to another Atol provider because it is easier for us rather than holding our own Atol,” he said. “The suggestion we are insolvent is not in any shape or form true.”
The operator is based in north London and trades under names including Golf Travel Centre and Chaka Golf Travel, with the online brands of golftravelcentre.com and chakatravel.com.
McCaghy said he had been in talks with the CAA over a change to his business model. “We are putting in a new Atol application because we went over the £5 million benchmark, so we are adjusting it to max out at £5 million. The CAA wanted us to restructure our business.”
He added: “It’s not the case that we don’t want to work with Atol, we will find a solution.”
The business specialises in UK, European and international golf holidays, from overnights to longer, tailor-made trips, while the Chaka Travel website highlights the operator’s focus on golf holidays to Mauritius, South Africa, Mexico, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as "luxury golf cruises" and twin-centres. "Each year, we host a number of golf tournaments and escorted tours," it adds.
Golf Travel Centre and Chaka Travel both remain listed as Abta member Y6372 The CAA said further information regarding Golf Travel Centre would follow.
