Hundreds of Australian travelers are facing uncertainty after Melbourne-based tour operator AVG Travels abruptly cancelled a series of overseas package tours, leaving customers scrambling for refunds and alternative travel arrangements.
According to a report by ABC News Australia, more than 200 customers were advised last week that their itineraries were “under review” due to “operational scheduling adjustments.” The affected departures reportedly include more than a dozen tours, many of them to China.
The disruption has triggered complaints to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), while the Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO) confirmed it has suspended AVG Travels’ membership pending a review.
“On becoming aware of complaints against AVG Travels this week, we moved quickly to review their accreditation status,” CATO general manager Mira Yates said in comments reported by ABC. “That review has resulted in the immediate suspension of AVG Travels’ CATO accreditation.”
The company’s membership with the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) had already been cancelled in 2022 after it failed to meet required financial and ethical standards.
Among affected customers are Melbourne couple Elizabeth and John Jennings, who were scheduled to depart this week on an 11-day China tour. The pair told ABC they spent weeks unsuccessfully trying to secure airline tickets and final travel documents before learning their trip had been cancelled only days before departure.
AVG Travels reportedly offered customers the option to reschedule departures for later in the year or accept travel credits, although some travelers insisted on refunds instead.
Perth traveler Sam Chisolm said she and her daughter Chelsey had booked an 11-day China holiday departing May 27 but never received airline tickets or final travel documentation despite paying AU$2,736 for the trip and optional excursions.
Following publication of the ABC report, both the Jennings and Chisolm families confirmed they had received full refunds from the company.
Further controversy emerged after AVG Travels sent a mass email to customers explaining that operational disruptions during the peak travel season were delaying booking confirmations. However, the email inadvertently exposed the personal email addresses of hundreds of recipients, prompting a second apology from the company citing an “administrative error.”
Despite the backlash, some customers defended the operator online, sharing positive experiences from previous tours. AVG Travels says it has taken more than 200,000 travelers worldwide since launching in Vietnam in 2012 before expanding into Australia, Japan, and the UK.
In a statement cited by ABC, the company said it remains “fully operational” and is working with affected travelers to provide “fair and appropriate resolutions.”
