AVG Travels liquidation leaves future travellers exposed

AVG Travels Pty Ltd has entered liquidation, with Matthew Hutton and Mark Holland of McGrathNicol appointed liquidators on 26 May 2026 after the Melbourne-based travel business suspended ongoing operations.

The liquidators have assumed control of AVG Travels’ affairs and operations and are undertaking an urgent review of its financial position, business operations and available assets. McGrathNicol said the company would be wound up in an orderly way for the benefit of creditors, including employees, suppliers and customers, with the process expected to take several months.

AVG Travels sold discounted international travel packages and tours to destinations across Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas. The liquidation follows reports of customers having tours cancelled, changed or placed under review shortly before departure, with many travellers seeking clarity on whether flights, accommodation and tour arrangements had been paid for or secured.

The company is no longer trading in the ordinary course. McGrathNicol said it had made the difficult decision to suspend ongoing business operations while it assesses how to preserve value for stakeholders. The liquidators are also considering potential sale options for the travel business, plant and equipment, leasehold opportunities and intangible assets, including the company’s website, Instagram account and other intellectual property.

For customers already travelling, the liquidators said trips are expected to continue as planned unless customers are contacted directly by AVG Travels staff or the liquidators. However, customers were advised to contact hotels and service providers directly to confirm their bookings, reflecting uncertainty over which arrangements had been paid for before the liquidation.

The position is more difficult for customers with future bookings. McGrathNicol said customers who paid deposits or paid in full for future travel are unsecured creditors in the liquidation. Unless airline tickets have already been issued, the liquidators understand that flights, hotels and other arrangements for future travel bookings generally have not been paid for by AVG Travels and therefore have not been secured.

Refunds are also unlikely to be available through the company in the near term. The FAQ states that AVG Travels cannot process refunds because it does not have the funds on hand, with customers directed to contact credit card providers or travel insurers to explore recovery options. Any dividend to unsecured creditors will depend on asset realisations, potential antecedent transaction recoveries, statutory priorities and liquidation costs.