Melbourne Travel Agency AVG Travels Cancels Hundreds of Trips

Melbourne-based travel agency AVG Travels has abruptly cancelled hundreds of holiday packages ^[1], leaving many Australian customers without planned vacations.

The sudden cancellations leave travelers in financial and logistical limbo, particularly those who had scheduled departures for this week. Because many of these trips involved international flights and pre-paid accommodations, affected customers face significant monetary losses and the stress of last-minute rescheduling.

Reports indicate that the agency informed approximately 230 customers ^[2] that their trips were cancelled. Many of these holiday packages were priced at upwards of $1,999 per person ^[2]. The cancellations occurred last week, with some flights originally scheduled to depart this Monday [1, 3].

The affected itineraries were primarily tours to China [1, 4]. According to reports, AVG Travels placed many of its China-based itineraries under review, which prompted the company to cancel the bookings ^[1]. The agency said it has not provided a detailed reason for why these specific tours were placed under review.

Customers have been left to scramble for alternative arrangements or seek refunds for their lost deposits. The scale of the disruption involves hundreds of trips in total ^[1], impacting a wide range of holidaymakers who relied on the agency for comprehensive travel planning.

While the agency is headquartered in Melbourne, the impact is felt across Australia as customers from various regions had booked these packages. The sudden nature of the announcements—occurring only days before departure—has intensified the frustration of those involved [1, 3].