Hundreds of UK students who had spent years saving for dream gap year placements have been left reeling after GVI, a leading eco tour operator, ceased trading on 1 July. The company's abrupt liquidation has cancelled all programmes, leaving thousands of pounds worth of unpaid fees and no clear prospect of refunds.
Many students, who had paid sums exceeding £10,000 for internships and volunteer roles on wildlife conservation projects around the world, are facing substantial financial losses. For Clara Denton, a student from the UK, the impact is devastating: "I've missed the deadline to apply for university courses and am too late to find an alternative placement – so I'm left with a year of nothing." The financial strain is compounded for those who had given up jobs to prepare for their placements.
Some customers claim they were actively encouraged to pay outstanding balances in full just weeks before GVI's collapse, with incentives such as a 10% discount offered for immediate payment. Payments made via bank transfer are not covered by consumer protections afforded by credit card refunds or debit card chargeback schemes – leaving students at the back of a long queue of creditors.
The consequences extend far beyond individual students to the conservation projects themselves, which relied on GVI for both volunteer support and funding. The Kawsay Biological Station in Peru, for example, reports being owed over £42,000 by GVI, despite hosting more than 60 volunteers this year. Director Raúl Bello Santa Cruz expressed deep concern, saying that the contract included vital funding for local projects – and that he's been using personal savings to sustain operations.
GVI's founders, Andrew Valentine and Brett Akker, previously liquidated an earlier iteration of the company last September, owing suppliers approximately £1.5 million. While GVI claimed it had made an "incredible" contribution to conservation over 25 years, Valentine acknowledged periods of disappointing commercial performance – saying that the business could no longer meet its obligations as of 30 June.