Nova Scotia-based travel agency shuts down operations

A Nova Scotia-based tour operator has been grounded, leaving hundreds of travellers in Ontario out in the cold.

Go Travel South travel agency cites economic circumstances for the decision to cease operations.

The company flies out of Ottawa using Flair Airlines and provides charters to Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

In a brief statement on its website, the travel company has told clients to contact their credit card companies for refunds.

An estimated 2,000 clients in the Ottawa area who had planned to head to the beach are now trying to get their money back.

A spokesman with the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) said because the company is based in Nova Scotia, it isn't registered with TICO, which offers consumer protection through a compensation fund.

TICO is advising travellers in this province to make sure they travel with a TICO-registered travel company.