Groupia Ltd has entered administration after 24 years of trading, cancelling all bookings due to depart from 1 September 2026 and leaving customers to check refund options. The UK-based group travel company operated brands including GoHen, StagWeb, Groupia Golf, Groupia School Trips and Company Away Day, covering celebration trips, school travel, golf breaks and corporate events.
The company had already stopped accepting new customers on 16 June 2026. It says bookings departing on or before 31 August 2026 are still expected to go ahead, while all trips from September onward have been cancelled.
What happened to Groupia?
Groupia arranged activity-led group trips for around 750,000 travellers during more than two decades in business. Its packages included breaks to destinations such as Barcelona, Amsterdam and Edinburgh, with activities ranging from whisky tasting and spa days to dance classes and team events.
Following the administration, Nigel Fox and Christopher Marsden of S&W Partners LLP have been appointed as joint administrators. The company has not publicly given a reason for its collapse and has not confirmed whether a buyer is being sought.
Which bookings are cancelled?
The key date for customers is 1 September 2026. Any Groupia booking due to depart on or after that date has been cancelled.
Bookings departing on or before 31 August 2026 are expected to continue as planned. Customers with earlier trips can contact Abtot for reassurance, but if they choose to cancel voluntarily, the original booking terms still apply.
How refunds will work
Groupia was a member of Abtot, the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust, which provides financial protection for eligible package travel bookings.
Customers who paid by credit card or debit card should contact their card issuer first. Those who paid by another method can submit an online claim through Gallagher Bassett, which handles claims on behalf of Abtot.
Refund claims may take up to six weeks. Customers should keep their booking reference, proof of payment, departure date and any emails from Groupia ready before starting the process through the official Abtot customer advice page.
Flights are not included in the refund process
Groupia says it did not sell flights as part of its packages. That means flights booked separately remain the customer’s responsibility.
Travellers who arranged their own flights, hotels, airport parking, rail tickets or insurance should contact those providers directly. Refunds for those separate bookings will depend on each provider’s terms and any travel insurance cover in place.
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Why this matters for group travellers
Group bookings can be harder to unwind than standard holidays because several people may have paid deposits, split costs or arranged separate transport. A cancelled stag weekend, hen trip, school visit or company away day can affect many people at once.
Customers should avoid deleting emails or payment receipts until their refund is complete. Booking confirmations, names of travellers, payment records and cancellation notices may all be needed during the claims process.
The collapse is also a reminder to check financial protection before paying for future package trips. Travellers planning upcoming breaks can follow more travel disruption and consumer refund updates as booking risks continue to affect holiday plans.
What customers should do now
First, check the departure date. If the trip starts on or before 31 August 2026, it is currently expected to go ahead. If it starts from 1 September 2026 onward, it has been cancelled.
Second, check how the booking was paid. Card payments should be raised with the card issuer first, while other payment methods should follow the Abtot claims route.
Finally, review any separate travel costs. Flights and other add-ons booked outside Groupia are not automatically covered by the company’s refund process.
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