Collapse of junior cricket tour operator impacts Sydney parents, coaches and emerging players

Calypso Destinations - a tour operator specialising in junior cricket tours owned by Sydney businessman Kevin Tyler - has collapsed, leaving a number of Sydney parents, coaches and players out of pocket reportedly to the tune of $1 million and destroying the emerging players’ dreams of a trip of a lifetime to India and the Caribbean.

Calypso Destinations organised overseas and Australian tournaments for talented young cricketers in NSW under the tutelage of former international and state players.

After cancelling a fully paid-up Indian tour at the last minute in April with no refunds, the company was this month placed into liquidation.

The Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) has advised that Calypso Destinations was not ATAS accredited and in the wake of its collapse issued a reminder to consumers about the importance of booking travel through ATAS-accredited businesses.

As reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, according to documents lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, Tyler resolved to have the company wound up with creditors owed $2.53 million.

The collapse impacts close to 100 families, from Sydney’s eastern suburbs to the city’s north-west, as well as organisations such as the prestigious King’s School in North Parramatta.

Former NSW and Tasmania batsman David Dawson’s eastern suburbs academy, Pro Performance Cricket, was due to take a touring party of 29 young cricketers, 14 parents and three staff to Bengaluru for 12 days of matches, training as well as watching an Indian Premier League game, for which each paid at least $7500 including flights.

However, SMH reports that two days before they were to fly out on 14th April, they were notified by Tyler that the tour was cancelled because of “circumstances beyond our control”.

Dawson said the abandoned Indian adventure and another tournament Tyler cancelled on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in July had cost parents of children coached at his academy more than $380,000 and caused reputational damage to his business, which also sustained losses of $40,000.

“It’s devastating on a lot of fronts,” Dawson told SMH adding “first and foremost, devastating for the kids and their parents who have invested a lot of money to try to put together a wonderful trip and experience for their kids. It’s devastating from a business sense. It’s very challenging to manage the fallout from this to make sure we’re doing all we can to support and assist our community.”

Customers say that losses incurred as a result of Tyler’s company going under exceeded $1.1 million among families of cricketers training at seven cricket academies, the academies themselves and other organisations. They include the King’s School ($46,475) and Baseball NSW, which is owed $202,635.84, according to a creditor’s report filed with ASIC by liquidator Shumit Banerjee, the director of Westburn Advisory.

ASIC documents show Tyler decreased his shareholding in Calypso Destinations on 3rd April, bringing on an investor, Kumar Satish, from Pune, India, as a minority stakeholder. By mid-April it had ceased trading, Tyler told the liquidator, and it was wound up with only $2418 in the bank and $15,000 in total assets.

Kevin and Andrea Tyler are listed as the largest creditor ($348,000). Others include National Australia Bank ($189,853.85), American Express ($128,000) and small business loan firm Bizcap ($124,000).

SMH also flagged that Tyler, who has captained Parramatta in fifth grade in the NSW Premier Cricket competition and played in other lower grades, had previously organised tours to destinations including England, New Zealand and Sri Lanka that provided experience in testing foreign conditions for ambitious teenagers striving to reach the professional ranks of the game. They had mostly been run well.

Brendan Lyon, the brother of Test spin bowler Nathan Lyon, whose Lyon Cricket Academy operates in Sydney and regional NSW and former NSW batsman Nic Bertus, co-owner of the Hills Cricket Academy, were also due to take teams to Barbados in July for an under-19 tournament there that was priced by Tyler at $8500 a head and which had been fully paid for.

Bertus’ Hills Cricket Academy is owed $113,898.99, according to the creditor’s report with Bertus noting that Tyler “doesn’t seem to understand what he’s done to people and how it’s affected them. We’re just basically going to front the costs and re-book the boys on the [Barbados] tour. Just to make sure they get over there. We’re really determined to get them there and have the experience of a lifetime.”

Calypso Destinations was not ATAS accredited. The Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) - the travel sector’s prestigious accreditation program, sets the highest industry benchmarks.

ATAS accreditation is contingent upon stringent criteria, including an in-depth analysis of business models, compliance with Australian Consumer Law, indemnity insurance verification, workforce qualification standards, annual financial reviews, daily director checks, and a robust consumer complaints program.

Consumers are encouraged to always look for the ATAS seal when booking travel to ensure they are dealing with a reputable and reliable provider for their travel.

ATIA Chief Executive Dean Long shared “the unfortunate situation with Calypso Destinations serves as a reminder of why it’s crucial to look for the ATAS seal when booking travel. ATAS accreditation means that the business has undergone rigorous financial reviews and meets strict industry criteria designed to safeguard your travel plans.

“Always choose an ATAS-accredited business to protect your travel investment and enjoy peace of mind.”

Image: Sydney businessman Kevin Tyler, the owner of Calypso Destinations.