Adventure specialist Tucan Travel ceases trading

"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."

Matt Gannan's decision to place Tucan Travel in administration is another sickening gut-punch for travel, another firm pushed to the wall through no fault of their own. I've been lucky enough to attend two Aito conferences, and I have witnessed first-hand the passion, expertise and resilience of people like Matt who embody the very spirit of that organisation – and of travel as a whole. It speaks of the severity of the circumstances facing the industry that the pandemic is claiming wholly viable businesses, ones that have been successful over a great many years, that have been left in limbo by the political torpor in Westminster. Travel deserves so much better. And we here at TTG call again on the government to stop treating travel like the sick man of the economy and move swiftly to provide firms, good British outbound travel companies that make a huge contribution to the economy, the sector-specific support they so sorely need to ensure we have a vibrant and prosperous travel sector on the other side of Covid. See our three-point #SaveTravel manifesto for more.