Ministers are keeping a close watch on the situation because a collapse of such a large operator would have political repercussions, raising more questions about the ability of the private sector to provide essential social services and healthcare.
"They stopped selling tickets for about a week, so that's not a good sign," said Mark Noennig, the vice president and general manager of Apple Vacations, a large operator that sells tours to Mexico.
"This is an area where size does matter," says Christiansen, because only a larger operator like Tag (with a staff of at least 200) can afford to be flexible with hours and to spell workers when they need time off.
You have large operators of hotels or shopping malls, supermarkets - they want to give their properties a green look.
The prospect of accelerating growth once any problems, perceived or real, are corrected, is a factor: Regal Entertainment, an Osterweis holding and the largest operator of movie theaters in the U.S., came out of bankruptcy in 2002 and is selling at just 13 times free cash flow.
The firm and Borealis Infrastructure Management said they may make an offer for Associated British Ports Holdings, the largest operator of ports in Britain The company has a market value of 2.2 billion pounds ($3.9 billion).
"There's no question that a few inches of snow in Boston is a huge shot in the arm for resorts in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont," said Skip King, a vice president at American Skiing Company, the largest operator of ski resorts in the country.
AMF Bowling Worldwide, the largest operator of bowling centers, won a judge's approval today of a $75 million loan to finance the company's bankruptcy restructuring.
Four Seasons Hotels, the world's largest operator of luxury hotels, reported a fourth-quarter profit on higher room revenue.
