Hungarians affected by the collapse of Robinson Tours fear they will recover only a fraction of the money they paid for cancelled holidays. The Bulgarian travel agency’s insurance cover is worth just HUF 23.3 million (approx. 64,000), while claims had already exceeded five times that amount by the end of August. Legal action against the Bulgarian state could be the next step.
More than two months after Bulgarian-registered travel agency Robinson Tours became insolvent, Hungarian customers are still waiting for compensation. With the total value of claims far exceeding the company’s available insurance cover, many travellers fear they will lose most of the money they paid for their holidays.
According to a report by Hungarian broadcaster RTL Híradó, the Bulgarian insurer is due to finalise its assessment of passengers’ claims on 25 October. However, the limited funds available mean that affected customers are unlikely to receive their money back in full.
Families face losses worth millions of forints
The financial impact has been devastating for some customers. Flóra Szabó, one of those affected, told RTL Híradó that she had contacted her hotel after the travel agency collapsed, only to discover that Robinson Tours had cancelled the booking itself.
The cancellation left her facing a loss of HUF 4 million (approximately EUR 10,000) for the planned holiday.
Another customer said their family had lost almost HUF 1 million (around EUR 2,500) because of the failed trip. They now hope to recover at least a small percentage of the money.
Some affected travellers have also faced language barriers while trying to navigate the claims process, although customers have reportedly been helping one another.
Insurance cover is worth just a fraction of the claims
The biggest problem is the gap between the compensation available and the money owed to customers. Robinson Tours’ insurance cover amounts to a maximum of HUF 23.3 million. By the end of August, however, the total value of claims was already more than five times that sum, according to previous reports by Index.
The situation may have deteriorated further since then. Tamás Pakuts, editor of the travel industry blog szálloda.blog, told RTL Híradó that the figures initially recorded around 300 claims involving approximately 500 people.
He estimated that the number of affected travellers could now exceed 1,000, meaning the total value of claims could be considerably higher. Unfortunately for customers, compensation is expected to be distributed proportionally, rather than allowing everyone to recover the full amount they paid.
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Could customers sue the Bulgarian state?
Travel law specialist András Salamon believes that affected customers could pursue the outstanding sums through the courts. He argues that Bulgaria may be held responsible for failing to implement EU rules on financial protection for travel organisers properly. On that basis, he believes travellers could bring legal proceedings against the Bulgarian state to recover losses not covered by the insurer.
Salamon expressed strong confidence in this legal argument, although the outcome of any potential proceedings would ultimately depend on the courts.
The Budapest Government Office has said that the compensation process falls under Bulgarian jurisdiction. Meanwhile, the Bulgarian insurer has reportedly failed to respond to enquiries.
There has also been a development in the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collapse. In September, the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office reviewed the information submitted and concluded that the reported facts could potentially indicate a criminal offence. On 18 September, it transferred the full case file to the Sofia District Prosecutor’s Office on jurisdictional grounds.
How the travel agency Robinson Tours collapsed
Robinson Tours, a Bulgarian-registered travel agency specialising mainly in holidays in Bulgaria, ran into serious difficulties at the beginning of August.
On 1 August, the company informed customers by text message that its airline could not operate a scheduled Budapest charter flight. Travellers already staying in Bulgaria were told they would be brought home by bus, while the outbound flight was cancelled.
A few days later, managing director Áron Jakócs reportedly still held out the prospect of holiday flights resuming. However, the company subsequently declared itself insolvent. In a letter sent to customers in early August, Robinson Tours said it no longer had the financial means to meet its obligations and had initiated liquidation proceedings at the Sofia City Court.
The company attributed its financial difficulties to several factors, including uncertainty linked to the Middle East crisis, high kerosene prices, competition from low-cost airlines and changes in the Hungarian travel market. At the time, customers were instructed to submit compensation claims to Bulgaria-based Axiom Insurance Company AD.