Tourists stranded as travel agency files bankruptcy, cancels trips
Although numerous airlines did not survive the spike in gas prices over the Iran war, running a travel agency is an even tougher business, given the double whammy of rising operating costs and the ease with which travelers can book their own trips online.
Particularly in the United Kingdom, the domino effect has reached a point where it seems as if a travel agency that operated for decades is shutting down every week.
The string of companies that went bust over the last six months includes Groupia, Salamander Voyages, Travel Bespoke, Regen Central, and Set Sail Cruises.
Launched in 1998 out of the southwestern city of Exeter, Global Vision International has become the latest travel agency to shut down after nearly three decades in business.
Global Vision International cancels all trips and enters liquidation process
As first reported by local British outlet GB News, GVI website visitors are greeted with a message saying that the company is "closing its doors" and "will now enter a formal liquidation process." Liquidators from the Hertfordshire-based RG Insolvency have been assigned to the company at the start of July.
The travel agency sold ecological and environmental preservation tours to countries such as Fiji, Costa Rica, The Maldives, and Nepal, among dozens of others. The trips were booked as a "voluntourism" option for travelers who wanted to learn about endangered ecosystems and support their preservation.
Related: 24-year-old travel company files for bankruptcy, cancels trips
"Over the last 28 years, we successfully supported critical wildlife and marine conservation projects to safeguard endangered ecosystems, partnered with local communities through collaborative education and sustainable livelihood initiatives, and welcomed an incredible network of alumni who continue to advocate for our planet," Chief Executive Andrew Valentine said in a statement, as the Basingstoke Gazette reported.
"I deeply regret the effect that GVI's closure will have on staff, projects and customers, and we are committed to providing clear information to those affected as GVI goes through a formal liquidation process."
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What happens to travelers who booked trips with Global Vision International?
Any trips booked with GVI for later in the year have been canceled as the company navigates the bankruptcy and liquidation process. Those with trips that are still in process are being helped by staff "as they make plans to depart GVI bases," the company said.
Meanwhile, "all impacted participants will receive formal correspondence detailing the liquidation process and instructions on how to lodge a claim."
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Any suppliers and partners that were also unexpectedly caught flat-footed by the collapse are also asked to wait for information from the firm overseeing the process.
Other travel agency bankruptcies in 2026:
- AVG Travels: Before entering bankruptcy in May 2026, the Melbourne-based travel agency selling cheap vacation packages to travelers in Australia and New Zealand sent more than 200 travelers an email saying that the trips were canceled.
- GoPlay Sports: In April 2026, the men’s basketball team of the University of Dallas was left without a planned trip to compete in the United Kingdom after Boston-based GoPlay Sports Tours LLC accepted two payments of $30,000 and then became unreachable.
- Havantur: Havantur was forced to shut down its main European office in Franceat the start of 2026 after tourist numbers to the Caribbean country plummeted due to U.S. military actions in Venezuela and threats against the country.
- Vegas Vacations and North America Destinations: Two travel agencies in the Canadian province of British Columbia, Vegas Vacations and North America Destinations, were shut down by regulators within a few days of each other in January 2026 after multiple travelers complained of buying trips with invalid plane tickets and hotel bookings.
Related: Another airline shut down in bankruptcy, to liquidate
