LEADING Spanish longhaul tour operator Nobeltours has been forced to stop selling packages to China after its inbound partners there refused to work with them any further.
Other operators have since been picking up the company’s bookings for China, during what is traditionally Spain’s busiest travel period.
One of Nobeltours’ local rivals, Catai, said they had already taken on 200 of the company’s China clients, and that more destinations were now being affected.
Nobeltours, which owns the Indoriente brand, has been operating for more than 25 years and was one of the pioneers in setting up longhaul packages from the country.
The Barcelona-based travel agents’ association, Unió Catalana d’Agències de Viatges Emissores, said seven of its members had been experiencing problems with Nobeltours of late.
Another Catalonia-based travel agent body, Asociación Catalana de Agencias de Viajes, said: “If they don’t clarify quickly what is happening in China, the effects could get worse.”
One agent said they had received an e-mail from Nobeltours explaining that the company was experiencing “ a critical economic situation” and could not guarantee ground services in China because of “serious problems” with their agents.
Spanish travel website, Hosteltur, has reported that Nobeltours’ problems began when they accumulated a debt of 200,000 euros (US288,000) with their China agents.
Although this debt has since been paid off, the agents demanded a deposit of 100,000 euros to keep working for Nobeltours.
When Nobeltours refused, the agents dropped them, and Nobeltours was forced to pass its clients on to rival operators.
