STA Travel succumbed to the impact of coronavirus last week with
its corporate division, Business Travel by STA, simultaneously ceasing trading.
The company had more than 50 leisure travel shops across the UK
and also operated the full-service travel management company which specialised
in the academic sector. Around 500 UK jobs across the organisation are thought
to be affected.
Although there was initially no message on the Business Travel by STA
website to indicate its demise, the website is no longer available and calls to
its phoneline are met with an automated message saying its travel experts are
unable to assist following the announcement that STA Travel UK had ceased
trading.
Customers with existing travel plans will be contacted “in the
coming days”.
ABTA confirmed the corporate division has ceased trading.
Announcing STA Travel’s collapse, an ABTA spokesperson said the news
would “send a shockwave through the industry, bringing to
life the very real pressures that travel is under at the moment”.
"STA Travel will be a name that is familiar to most people who will have
used them to travel or been aware of their name on the high street, and this
distressing news will sadly affect the livelihoods of hundreds of employees.”
Business Travel by STA was also a member of the Business Travel
Association (BTA).
“It’s very saddening to see the demise of such a well-regarded leisure and business travel firm, and particularly the impact that will have on its employees and their families,” said BTA CEO Clive Wratten.
“This grave development reinforces the need for government action now to help an industry that employs many thousands and contributes many billions to the economy. The forthcoming end of the furlough scheme will bring even greater pain to our industry and it’s vital that it’s either extended or replaced with another scheme that enables our survival.”