Children stranded in Spain will start their journey to Latvia on Friday afternoon

RIGA - Children currently stranded in Spain, who had travelled to a promised surfing camp in Portugal through the Latvian tour operator Fisom, have been asked to prepare for their departure in order to start their journey home to Latvia on Friday afternoon, representatives of the Consumer Rights Protection Centre (PTAC) informed LETA.

PTAC pointed out that due to the long distances involved, as well as the logistical complexity, it is currently planned that the buses of the repatriation service provider's partner company in Spain will pick up the passengers at the campsite where they are currently located on Friday afternoon.

In the Eastern region of France, the children will be met by Lux Express Latvia buses, which will start their journey from Latvia in the next few hours.

Due to the complicated logistics, the children are expected to return to Latvia in the evening of Tuesday, August 13.

The regulation provides that if a tour operator is unable to meet all or part of its obligations due to liquidity problems and repatriation of the traveler is necessary, the travelers will be repatriated, with transport and, if necessary, accommodation provided, but the travelers themselves must provide meals en route, PTAC said.

The Latvian travelers' stay at the campsite, as well as their meals on Thursday and Friday, have been paid for by the risk insurance company Balta from their personal funds, despite the fact that this company currently has no relationship with the victims.

Given that PTAC has revoked the tour operator's license, no further travel will take place. PTAC will inform about the recovery process in the near future, as the priority at the moment is to return the children to Latvia.

PTAC remains in contact with the children's parents and the Foreign Ministry and will post more detailed information on the repatriation process and updates on PTAC's website.

Earlier it was reported that on Thursday,  the insurance company Balcia received four applications from clients whose children went to a camp in Portugal, but the organizers went missing and the children did not return home, the insurer informed LETA. It immediately started to deal with the situation by organizing transport to the airport and flights home for the children.

According to Balcia representatives, the Foreign Ministry and PTAC were immediately informed of the situation, offering the insurer's expert support in arranging a repatriation flight so that other children who are not Balcia's clients can be given the opportunity to return home as soon as possible.

According to Firmas.lv, Matiss Dalbergs is the Chairman of the Board of Fisom. In 2021, Fisom's turnover was EUR 117,615, while its profit amounted to EUR 41,749. In 2022, the company's turnover amounted to EUR 356,396, but it made a loss of EUR 33,452.