While the approximately 8,000 registered travel agencies operating in the U.S. in 2026 can seem like a big number, it is significantly lower than the peak 35,000 businesses that sold trips and tours during the 1990s.
If the rise of online booking platforms has been gradually whittling away the need for centralized agencies outside of certain niche or ultra-luxury segments, the spike in jet fuel prices and an uncertain economic outlook in 2026 have served to hasten the momentum more recently.
Some recent travel companies that ended up shutting down operations in 2026 for good include Trav Expert, Groupia, Golf Villa Rentals, Salamander Voyages, Travel Bespoke, Regen Central, Set Sail Cruises, Yourtravelshop.com, Ski Yodel, Wayfairer Travel, and TS Travels Group among others.
Sunshine Tours shuts down after 45 years
A longtime Virginia travel industry name and community staple that was founded in 1982 by husband-and-wife team Carroll and Joyce Stone, Sunshine Tours is the latest to announce their exit from the market.
The company named the “rising cost of fuel, lodging, and overall tour expenses, along with the decline in passenger counts” as the reason to shut down a business selling travelers bus tours across the United States and Canada.
“After much consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close our business effective immediately,” Sunshine Tours wrote in a post that it put out on multiple social media channels. “There were several factors that led to this outcome, but the biggest contributing issues were the rising cost of fuel, lodging, and overall tour expenses, along with the decline in passenger counts. We understand as a ‘luxury’ and non-essential business, travel is often one of the first expenses people cut back on when budgets tighten. Please know we are devastated by this decision.”
This means that any tours scheduled for the coming weeks and months will be canceled while anyone who put down a deposit or paid for the cost of the trip is urged to contact the company at 540-674-9517 or sunshinetours1982@gmail.com.
“Refunds for all tours will be processed based on the decisions of legal counsel”: Sunshine Tours
While Sunshine Tours has not officially filed for bankruptcy, its statement that “refunds for all tours will be processed based on the decisions of legal counsel” suggests that its financial position may not be one in which it is able to provide them.
The other option is for affected travelers to go through their credit card issuer or travel insurance.
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“We also understand that you have paid your deposits or balances for an upcoming tour and that you are owed a refund,” Sunshine Tours wrote further. “At this time, we are working with legal counsel to determine the best course of action for everyone affected. Refunds for all tours will be processed based on the decisions of legal counsel during this process. Please note this will not be an overnight process, and we do not yet have a timeline for when refunds will be issued.”
These travel agencies filed for bankruptcy in 2026:
- AVG Travels: The Melbourne-based travel agency selling cheap vacation packages to travelers in Australia and New Zealand sent more than 200 customers an email saying that the trips were canceled before entering bankruptcy in May 2026.
- GoPlay Sports: In April 2026, the men’s basketball team of the University of Dallas was left without a planned trip to compete in the United Kingdom after Boston-based GoPlay Sports Tours LLC accepted two payments of $30,000 and then went unreachable.
- Havantur: Havantur was forced to shut down its main European office in France at the beginning of 2026 after tourist numbers to the Caribbean country plummeted due to U.S. military actions in Venezuela and threats against the country.
- Vegas Vacations and North America Destinations: Two travel agencies in the Canadian province of British Columbia, Vegas Vacations and North America Destinations, were shut down by regulators within a few days of each other in January 2026 after multiple travelers complained of buying trips and receiving invalid plane tickets and hotel bookings.