TRAVEL company Toucan Travel filed for administration yesterday after coronavirus pandemic caused financial difficulty.

The independent travel company, who had seven stores around Hampshire, announced the sad news on social media.

The Director of the Toucan Travel, Terry Thornhill,  has now spoken out about the heart breaking closure of the company.

He said: “At the start of 2020, we never imagined finding ourselves in the position we are in now, having to make the toughest decision of our lives, knowing that this will have such a profound impact on yours.

“It is with absolute regret that we are having to appoint KRE Corporate Recovery Ltd to place Toucan Travel into Administration, which sadly brings to a close such a wonderful part of our lives.”

Terry believes that holidays and travel are an important part of people's lives.

“Toucan’s customers and staff have helped us create that vision, building a wonderful business, with the staff, our customers excellent service, providing thoughtful and knowledgeable insight, being careful to listen and always offering a smile.

“We are not only proud of Toucan as a business but also of the Toucan 'Family'.  The Staff have supported each other through many life events and we hope their friendships will be lifelong.”

In the statement Terry stated that careful financial management enabled the company to weather many an economic storm.

He continued: “The impacts of Covid 19 on travel is unprecedented and worse still, is the uncertainty of how long this situation will last.

“We have taken action to minimise this impact over the last 7 months, in the hope that we would be able to resume more normal trading at some point in the future.”

He ended on a positive note: “We are confident the industry will bounce back and we look forward to people again being able to experience the joys of travel.   In the future we're sure there will be many business opportunities for those able, willing and with the energy to make it happen”