Gareth Prince, Mark Malone and Joanne Hammond of Begbies Traynor have been appointed joint administrators, with the company expected to be placed formally in administration on or before 16 February.
All outstanding trips have been cancelled, and no further bookings will be taken.
All customers with Tucan bookings will be contacted by email by 5 February with details of how they can make claims for any monies paid to Tucan.
Tucan’s Australian entity has also been placed in voluntary administration, with Andrew Barnden or Rodgers Reidy in Sydney appointed administrator.
Customers have been advised to review their confirmation email and travel itinerary to establish whether they are due to travel with the company’s UK entity or the Australian subsidiary.
Tucan specialised in small group tours, operating group itineraries in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. It also ran a tailor-made operation, offering bespoke tours to Latin America and Asia.
The company operated group itineraries in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe as well as a tailor-made department, offering bespoke tours in Latin America and Asia.
Abtot has confirmed a claims portal will open on Monday (8 February). "We are sorry to confirm that Tucan Limited trading under the following name Tucan Travel has ceased trading on 2 February 2021," said Abtot.
"If you have booked a holiday with Tucan Limited t/as Tucan Travel, we regret that all bookings will be cancelled. The claims portal will be open to lodge a claim on Monday 8 February 2021."
The firm was a member of Aito, with chief executive Matt Gannan serving on the association’s council since 2016.
"Matt put a lot of effort into finding solutions for Ato members while he was on council, and we shall miss his input considerably," said Aito executive director Martyn Sumners.
Tucan suspended operations in March 2020 owing to the pandemic, but with the outlook for travel still bleak come the new year, the business said it did not wish to prolong the limbo facing staff and other partners.
"No one could have predicted that in January 2021, most countries in the world would be in further tough lockdowns with many people losing their lives and loved ones," said Tucan in a statement.
"There is unlikely to be any normal international leisure travel until 2022 and so with a heavy heart, the decision was taken in the best interests of everyone concerned to place the company into administration.
"I would like to thank all clients, suppliers and staff for their support over the years and hope you get to enjoy travelling again in the future. Best wishes, Tucan Travel."
’Passionate about delivering good through travel’
In a statement issued via Aito, Gannan added: “We’ve had to make many staff redundant over the past 10 months in an effort to keep the company alive; most of them were loyal, long-serving staff with families to support. Unfortunately, this situation now extends to all staff, which is devastating.
“With clients wishing to receive immediate full refunds of money paid in advance to secure many services on their behalf, and smaller overseas hotels and service providers not having the resources to repay what is owed to tour operators until they are able to reopen their businesses and earn money again, the further tough lockdowns have forced us – with a heavy heart – to place the company into administration."
Sumners added Gannan had been in business for 14 years, since 1987, and had been active within Aito for the past 11 years.
"Tucan Travel won many awards over the years, including four at last year’s BTAs," said Sumners.
"Matt and his team were passionate about delivering good through travel, and the company’s long-term commitment to responsible travel was informed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals with the aim of ending poverty, reducing inequalities and tackling climate change.”
Around 700 customers’ travel arrangements are understood to be affected by Tucan’s failure, including holidays booked both in the UK and Australia, worth around £850,000.
Customers will be able to claim owing to the company’s bonding under Atol and through Abtot.
On behalf of the staff at Tucan Travel
"The coronavirus pandemic has had a severe impact on many businesses in particular the travel industry. Tour operators like Tucan Travel have faithfully tried to support people and balance their needs. During this time we had to make difficult decisions to keep the company alive including many staff redundancies, most of whom are loyal long serving staff with families to support. Unfortunately this now extends to all staff.
"With client welfare and best interests at the forefront, Tucan Travel took the decision early in March 2020 to suspend tour operations. There has been no satisfactory solution for tour operators to be able to address the number of clients wishing to receive immediate full refunds. The reason for this is that tour operators effectively coordinate airlines, hotels and local services such as guides, permits and transportation for groups of clients.
"Tour operators are required to pay in advance to secure these services on behalf of their clients; many of these service contracts are non-refundable or non-transferrable. In addition, many of the smaller overseas hotels and service providers that specialist tour operators support are in an even worse situation – they simply do not have the resources to repay what is owed to tour operators until they are able to reopen their business and earn money again.
"No one could have predicted that in January 2021, most countries in the world would be in further tough lockdowns with many people losing their lives and loved ones. There is unlikely to be any normal international leisure travel until 2022 and so with a heavy heart, the decision was taken in the best interests of everyone concerned to place the company into administration.
"I would like to thank all clients, suppliers and staff for their support over the years and hope you get to enjoy travelling again in the future. Best wishes, Tucan Travel."
