The family-run business, part of the L C Hughes Partnership, has spent the past few years quietly building itself into one of the larger caravan centres in the south of England, and the timing looks shrewd.

With the pound’s purchasing power abroad still feeling pinched, airport queues a regular feature of the summer news cycle and a generation of younger families rediscovering the appeal of the Lake District, Pembrokeshire and the north Norfolk coast, demand for touring holidays in Britain has held up well.

The site itself is set up to take advantage of that.

Bicester Caravan and Leisure is a main dealer for Swift, Sprite, Elddis, Xplore, Buccaneer and Coachman, which is a fairly comprehensive sweep of the British caravan market in one car park.

The new caravan stock list takes in family-friendly Sprite layouts, the lighter Basecamp range aimed at couples and weekenders, and the more luxurious Elegance Grande and Coachman Lusso models at the top end.

For anyone not ready to commit to a full caravan, the dealership has also become the exclusive UK importer of Comanche folding campers and trailer tents, a Spanish brand with more than two decades of trailer-building behind it.

The Camp-let range, designed for families of four and expandable to sleep up to eight, offers another route in at a lower price point, and the recently announced Cabanon trailer tents add a further option for buyers who want canvas rather than fibreglass.

Tents and folding campers tend to attract first-time buyers, and staff at the dealership are themselves keen caravanners, which makes the showroom feel less like a car forecourt and more like a specialist outdoors shop.

The practical side of caravan ownership is handled on the same site.

An NCC approved workshop takes care of servicing, habitation checks and warranty work across all the major brands, and a fully stocked accessory shop sells everything from motor movers to awnings.

Secure on-site storage is available for owners who would rather not park a caravan on the drive, and the Bicester Bean cafe gives browsers somewhere to sit down with a coffee between viewings.

A campsite of the dealership’s own is also under construction, which should give new buyers a soft landing for their first night under canvas or in a brand-new van.

None of this would matter much if the wider picture for UK touring was flat, but it is not.

Caravan and motorhome sites across Oxfordshire, the Cotswolds and the south west have been reporting strong forward bookings, and the appeal of being able to set off on a Friday evening without a passport check is hard to argue with.

For anyone in the Oxford area weighing up whether this is the year to take the plunge, the Bicester site is a sensible first stop.

More information about the current stock, the workshop and the Comanche and Cabanon ranges is available on the Bicester Caravan and Leisure website.

KAREN JOY BACUDO

Finance Editor

FinTech North is returning to Leeds for a 10th anniversary conference, marking a decade since the organisation launched in the city.

The event will be held at Salem Chapel, aql’s HQ and the venue where FinTech North began. It will bring together founders, industry executives and public sector representatives to discuss how the sector has changed across Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region.

Participants include West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin, the National Wealth Fund, Leeds Digital Festival, the Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority, Mastercard, GoCardless and FIS.

The agenda will focus on how financial technology has developed over the past decade, along with the regulatory challenges and commercial opportunities facing the market. Topics include mortgages, banking, lending, payments and regtech.

Regional growth

The event comes as new figures highlight the scale of the sector in West Yorkshire and the wider North of England. According to Whitecap Consulting, West Yorkshire is home to 94 fintech firms, while the Leeds City Region fintech ecosystem contributes £700 million a year to the regional economy.

About 60 national and international firms have chosen the Leeds City Region as a base for their UK operations. Across the North, there are around 400 fintech firms employing 20,000 people directly, with a further 70,000 in fintech-related roles.

The sector has also contributed about £2 billion in Gross Value Added to the UK economy. These figures point to the growing strength of regional fintech clusters outside London, particularly in areas with established expertise in financial and professional services.

Leeds has long been one of the UK’s main centres for banking, insurance and data-driven business services, giving fintech companies access to both talent and large customer markets. The city has also worked to raise its profile in digital industries through networks, accelerator programmes and events that connect start-ups with investors, regulators and established financial institutions.

Origins

FinTech North traces its beginnings to a decade ago, when Whitecap Consulting and White Label Crowdfunding launched the initiative as part of the first Leeds Digital Festival programme. Organisers say that early conference helped establish what became the UK’s first regional fintech hub.

Since then, the group has expanded its activity across the North through events that bring together start-ups, larger technology companies, policymakers and academics. Its aim has been to strengthen the Northern fintech ecosystem and create links between regional firms and national decision-makers.

The anniversary conference also coincides with the 10th year of Leeds Digital Festival, underlining how closely the city’s fintech and wider technology communities have developed alongside one another. That overlap has become increasingly important as fintech businesses move beyond payments and consumer apps into more specialised areas of financial infrastructure and compliance.

Joe Roche, General Manager at FinTech North, highlighted the sector’s economic footprint across the region.

“With around 400 fintech firms across the North employing 20,000 people directly, and 70,000 employees working in fintech-related roles, the region has contributed approximately £2bn in Gross Value Added to the UK and become a powerhouse for innovation and opportunity. The Leeds City Region has played a significant role in the growth of the fintech ecosystem, with approximately 60 national and international firms choosing the region as a base for their UK operations,” Roche said.

Roche also reflected on the organisation’s role in the market over the past decade.

“Over these 10 years, FinTech North has played a central role in both advocating for and actively helping to shape the ecosystem. As the country’s first regional fintech hub, we have witnessed and contributed to the development of a thriving national community,” he said

Trav Expert Limited (Ltd), based in Hounslow (London), traded under the names Best4trips, Travel Crew, and Air Waay.

The travel company offered flights and holiday packages to destinations around the world, including:

• Sydney
• Maldives
• New York
• Dubai
• Barcelona
• Bangkok
• Amsterdam
• Auckland
• Barbados

Trav Expert Limited ceases trading putting flights and holidays at risk

Trav Expert Ltd ceased trading as an ATOL holder on May 21.

Air Travel Organiser’s Licence (ATOL) is a government-backed financial protection scheme, run and managed by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), that all tour companies in the UK are required to have.

ATOL guarantees customers receive refunds if a company collapses.

A company fails as an ATOL holder if it has entered insolvency in the past six months and can’t meet its obligations to consumers, the ATOL website explains.

ATOL has warned anyone who has booked flights or holidays with any of the three companies associated with Trav Expert Ltd to check their ATOL certificate and the type of their booking on its claims information page.

It continues: “Bookings sold as accommodation only, non-flight Packages & cruise only bookings, which do not include a flight element, are not covered by the ATOL scheme.”

In this instance, travellers are urged to contact their travel insurance provider or card issuer for assistance.

If the name listed on your certificate is not Trav Expert Limited, contact the ATOL holder shown.

Despite no longer being an ATOL holder, Trav Expert Ltd remains ‘active’ on Companies House.

The company has been contacted for comment.

Who can claim a refund?

Travellers affected by Trav Expert Ltd ceasing trading as an ATOL holder can claim refunds if they meet certain criteria.

ATOL-protected packages with Trav Expert Limited (due to travel after May 21)

Travellers who booked ATOL-protected packages with Trav Expert Limited for trips after May 21, 2026, and have already received their flight tickets should first contact the airline to confirm whether their bookings remain valid.

If the airline confirms the tickets are valid, customers have two options:

1. If they no longer wish to travel, they can submit a claim for a refund through the ATOL scheme, provided they paid by cheque, debit card, charge card, bank transfer, or cash.
2. If travellers decide to use the flight but are asked to pay again for other elements of the holiday package, they may claim the cost of these replacement services through ATOL (depending on their original payment method).

ATOL warned that services, including accommodation and transfers, may not have been paid for by Trav Expert Ltd, and travellers could be required to rebook and pay for them directly.

The scheme advised confirming all costs with suppliers before travelling.

ATOL also said: “If you choose to travel and use your valid flight, you are not protected under The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 as your package travel provider has ceased to trade. 

“You will therefore be responsible for any risks arising from each individual element of your trip which would have previously been protected.”

Those who paid Trav Expert Limited directly by credit card, even in part, are not eligible to claim a refund from ATOL.

Instead, they must make a claim through their credit card issuer under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

Credit card providers are responsible for refunding customers up to the entire amount paid, including payments made by cheque, cash, debit card, or charge card.

ATOL-protected flight-only bookings with Trav Expert Limited (due to travel after May 21)

For ATOL-protected flight-only bookings without issued flight tickets, refunds are available through ATOL if payment was not made by credit card and you have been issued with an ATOL Certificate.

Customers who have e-tickets or scheduled flight tickets should confirm validity with the airline, as these are expected to remain valid for travel.

If the airline confirms the ticket is valid, customers are not eligible for an ATOL refund and should still be able to travel.

Cancelled ATOL bookings (before May 21)

For customers still awaiting refunds for cancelled ATOL bookings made before May 21, 2026, claims can be submitted through ATOL, provided payment was not made by credit card.

In all cases where a credit card was used for payment, they must make a claim through their issuer.

Travellers are reminded to keep all original booking confirmations, ATOL certificates, and payment evidence, as these may be required to support their claims at a later stage.

Claims made to ATOL must be made by May 20, 2027.

Other UK travel companies that have closed in 2026

Four other UK travel companies have already closed in 2026:

Luxury UK holiday company Salamander Voyages also shut down in April after entering administration.

Meanwhile, four UK airlines have fallen into administration or liquidation already this year:

• Ascend Airways (liquidation)
• EcoJet Airlines (liquidation)
• Zenith Aviation Limited (administration)
• European Cargo (administration)

Have you booked flights or a holiday through Trav Expert Ltd (Best4trips, Travel Crew, or Air Waay) recently? Let us know in the comments below.