Israeli travel agencies suspected of coordinating prices of Poland trips

Daniel Gilenson

After an 18-month long investigation, the Israel Police announced that it will file a lawsuit against 4 travel agencies that are suspected of coordinating prices and preventing competition in the market for trips to Poland.

Poland trip Photo credit: Reuters/ Channel 2 News

Today (Wednesday), a year and a half after the Poland trip affair was exposed, the Israel Police announced the end of the investigation. The affair revealed that travel agency managers were coordinating prices for the trips that most kids in Israel take to Poland in order to learn about the Holocaust.

The police claim that there is enough evidence to file an indictment. According to the police statement, several travel agencies cooperated in order to share the market for trips to Poland. During the investigation, it was discovered that for years, the agencies worked together as a cartel in order to keep prices high.

The market for school trips to Poland is estimated at approximately 180 million shekels (50 million dollars) per year and about 30,000 students travel each year. The cost per student stands at approximately 6,000 shekels (1,690 dollars), including flights, accommodation, transportation and guidance. This price is suspected of reflecting an excess premium due to the lack of real competition in the market.