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German tour operator FTI goes bust: 7,500 tourists currently in Greece

German tour operator FTI said Monday that it is filing for insolvency protection from creditors, and trips that haven’t yet started will be canceled or scaled back.

FTI Group, which describes itself as Europe’s third-biggest tour operator, said parent company FTI Touristik GmbH, was filing an application for the opening of insolvency proceedings at a Munich court.

Since an announcement in April that a consortium of investors would come on board, “booking figures have fallen well short of expectations despite the positive news,” the company said in a statement.

“In addition, numerous suppliers have insisted on advance payment,” it added. “As a result, there was an increased need for liquidity, which could no longer be bridged until the closing of the investor process,” making the insolvency filing a legal necessity.

The operator said it is working to ensure that trips that have already started can be completed as planned, but “trips that have not yet begun will probably no longer be possible or only partially possible from Tuesday.”

A support website and hotline were set up for customers affected.

FTI’s clients in Greece

According to Greek media, the FTI owes to 300 hotels in Greece with which it cooperated a total of  1.8 million euros from 2023.

For 2024 Greek hoteliers had asked for payment in advance as it was clear from last year that there was “something going on” with the company.

and repatriation of tourists who booked with the said company will repatriate with other companies.

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On the other hand, hoteliers on the island of Crete said that the company had not outstanding debts to hotels from 2023 and no debts for the clients currently in Greek hotels.
“However, there will be gaps from bookings that will not be executed for the rest of the season,” president of Heraklio Hoteliers Association Nikos Chalkiadakis told news website news247.gr
The Greek Tourism Ministry estimates that there are currently 7,500 clients of the FTI in the country. The ministry is closely cooperates with the Germans for the repatriation of the tourists when their vacation is over. This will most likely take place with other companies.
The German tour operator was active primarily among German tourists but also of British one. It is estimated that on the island of Crete alone, 50,000 to 60,000 tourists would have purchased holiday packages via the FTI. Other activity destinations in Greece were Rhodes, Kos, Corfu and Halkidiki.

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One comment

  1. We were in Greece (Corfu) at 3rd of June unfortunately. Our day cruises got cancelled and we were promised money back in 7 days. Almost a month later… no money in sight…
    So if you are going here, please be careful!