A wave of bankruptices may strike travel operators

According to Puls Biznesu, travel agency Aladin disappeared from the domestic market on Wednesday and it is very likely that its Tunisian owners might have fled the country with clients' money. According to sources, one of its owners, Noureddine Marhag, left Poland with zł. 230,000 belonging to his customers at the beginning of the week. Moreover, there are about 200 people that traveled with Aladin abroad and they do not have a guarantee that the costs of their return to Poland are covered. The Mazowsze Voivodship Office is organizing their return trip, which will be financed by the Olsztyn branch of insurance company Warta. Aladin had financial problems already last year, but managed to cope with these. According to experts, this bankruptcy may signal the beginning of others, reflecting the condition of the sector caused by economic stagnation and SARS. (Puls Biznesu, pp. 1, 11) M.M.