The travel industry is once again facing a shock: The Heilbronn-based tour operator We-Flytour has announced that it will file for bankruptcy. As the German Travel Insurance Fund (DRSF) announced, the insolvency not only affects numerous canceled trips, but also around 1,500 travelers who are currently in popular holiday destinations such as Turkey and Egypt. The bankruptcy announcement comes just a few days after We-Flytour announced that it would officially declare its operations at the district court.

We-Flytour had been active on the German market since September 2023 and had established itself as a Turkey specialist. The company is backed by AAH Management Company SA from Luxembourg, which was responsible for organizing and supervising the trips on site through its subsidiary We Fly Turizm AS in Antalya. Despite an ambitious start and growing popularity through travel agency collaborations, the company ran into serious financial difficulties.

According to the company, the main reason for the insolvency is a change of credit card provider. The previous provider, Get Net, a service provider for Santander Bank, withdrew from the market. However, with the new provider, We-Flytour was unable to set up payment processing in a timely manner, which led to significant liquidity problems. As a result, important sales partners dropped out, which drove the company into bankruptcy.

Impact on customers

Both trips that have already begun and those that are planned are affected. All trips with a start date up to November 26th have been canceled by We-Flytour. However, the DRSF, which is responsible for insuring package tours, reacted quickly. According to its own information, the fund ensures the safe return of all holidaymakers or, if possible, the continuation of the trips they have booked. Travelers whose vacations have been canceled can hope for a refund of their payments once the ongoing repatriation efforts are complete.

In order to offer affected customers quick help, the DRSF has set up emergency numbers. Local contacts are available for travelers in Turkey, while a hotline has been set up in Germany for other destinations. In addition, the fund has set up a central service hotline to answer general questions.

The bankruptcy of We-Flytour is one of a series of crises in the travel industry. After the spectacular bankruptcies of Thomas Cook and FTI, this is another example of the challenges that organizers are struggling with. Young companies like We-Flytour in particular often rely on smooth payment flows and strong sales partners. As soon as this chain is broken, the financial risk is enormous.

Challenges and criticism

We-Flytour’s insolvency shows how sensitive tour operators are to external factors. Experts criticize that such an abrupt insolvency also indicates inadequate financial security. Although the DRSF is acting effectively, the situation remains unpleasant for those affected as they are faced with unforeseen interruptions and uncertainty. What is particularly problematic is that many customers had no opportunity to find out about the provider’s difficulties before their trip, as cooperation with new travel agency partnerships was only recently announced.

Processing We-Flytour is likely to take weeks, if not months. While the DRSF’s rapid response strengthens confidence in the industry’s hedging systems, the question remains whether smaller operators can survive in the long term under the current market conditions. This is little consolation for the affected holidaymakers, who now have to change their plans or live with uncertainty in their holiday planning.