Dozens of travellers have been left stranded abroad or at home after Australian travel agency AVG Travels cancelled their holiday packages. The Melbourne-based firm sent an email to over 200 customers last week stating that itineraries were under review due to operational scheduling adjustments, as reported by the ABC.
Some customers were notified just days before departure, while others were already overseas when the cancellations took effect. The majority of affected packages were trips to China, though the agency had sold heavily discounted holidays to various global destinations.
The email also exposed recipients' email addresses in a data breach, for which the agency later apologised citing an administrative error. CEO David Dao expressed regret for the uncertainty, blaming operational disruptions during the peak travel period.
The Council of Australian Tour Operators suspended AVG Travels' membership following the mass cancellations, and the Australian Travel Industry Association had already revoked its membership in August 2022 for failing to meet financial and ethical standards. Travellers have reported the breach to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Affected customers, such as Elizabeth Jennings from Melbourne and Sam Chisholm from Perth, initially struggled to obtain refunds or alternative arrangements. However, after the ABC published its report, both received full refunds. A Facebook support group with over 230 members has been formed to share experiences.
