Poles cancel vacations wave of bankruptcies

Scores of Poles are canceling their vacations following a wave of bankruptcies during the worst year in the history of the sector, according to a survey published Friday in the daily Gazeta Prawna quoted by dpa. Some 44 per cent of Poles have canceled the vacations they booked with travel agents and tour operators and decided to organize their get-aways themselves, according to the Homo Homini poll. Clients were also found to have become more cautious in picking a travel agency: 45 per cent of respondents said their choice was based on the reputation of the agency, while 13 per cent said that price was the deciding factor. Estimates suggest up to 40,000 people have had their vacations shortened or canceled after their travel agency went bankrupt and did not have enough insurance funds to cover all the costs. Provincial offices have spent some 6 million zloty (1.8 million dollars) to bring stranded tourists back home. Summerelse on Thursday became the ninth agency to go bankrupt during the holiday season, when thousands of Poles travel to popular spots such as Egypt and Greece. The Supreme Audit Office said this week that tour operators and travel agencies had not done enough to protect their clients, and that it would launch an inspection into the sector.