TRAVEL industry groups have warned that the number of scams are quickly growing in tandem with the recovery of the tour and travel sector.

That warning is backed by data from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MCTA) as the complaints it received on fraud, crimes and non-compliance on tourism and pilgrimage packages have doubled to 85% in the first half of this year compared to 2022.

The simple message from the industry is, “don’t spoil your holiday plans by being more vigilant and cautious on travel offers that are too good to be true.

“There will definitely be a lot more scams,” Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association (MCTA) national president Paul Paw told The Malaysian Insight.

He said consumers have to be cautious when buying travel packages.

“Check out the travel agent. Are they licensed?  Are they qualified? What is their background?”

Paw said even licensed travel agents have “disappeared without a trace” after receiving payments.

He said the “licensed agents” who would resort to this are normally those who advertise their services and tour packages online.

“You know you are scammed when you show up at a place you have been asked to collect on your purchase and no one shows up,” Paw said.

Paw said it would be better for the consumers to go to travel fairs and discuss directly with the companies on their offers and packages.

He said companies participating in these fairs are legitimate which have passed the tight qualification scrutiny.

MCTA Johor chairman Edwin Tay Kian Chuan is also advising consumers to exercise greater vigilance when buying travel packages online.

Of course it’s easy and hassle free to do the transaction online, he said, but a consumer won’t know the people or the company they are dealing with?

“Do a little homework. Check the company’s background.

“Are they a licensed company, how long have they been in the industry? These are all very important if they (consumers) do not want to get cheated.”

Tay said more awareness needs to be created and suggested the Tourism Ministry work with the industry to produce a short film or video to be uploaded on various social media platforms on online tourism advertisement scams.

Malaysia United Tourist Guides’ Association (Mutga) president Wong Lit Jer said the industry had been grappling with unlicensed tour and travel agents for a long time.

But the difference, he pointed out, was that in the past, these agents were not out to cheat people.

“They were genuine businessmen.”

It’s only the ones today, hard pressed by the economic downturn, that are resorting to cheating to make easy money, he said.

“After the pandemic, they took advantage of the online business setup, devising schemes to scam people,” Wong said.

Wong said it is easy for them to do so as various social media platforms and internet service providers do not have control over what is advertised on their sites.

He said the scam works because the vast majority of consumers are not aware of the warning signs when doing transactions online.

“Hopefully the government could do more in terms of creating awareness.”

Wong said the onus is on the consumers to protect their hard earned money from online cheats.

“Do your homework. Check out the travel agency you want to deal with.

“Do they have the proper licence? Do they have licensed tour guides?

To find those answers, Wong said consumers could visit https://motac.gov.my/semakan.

On July 26, the Ministry of Tourism issued a statement that it has invoked the Tourism Act 1992 (Act 482) to launch a three-day enforcement operation in Negri Sembilan, Perak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya at locations where tourism packages were sold.

The ministry inspected a total of 190 companies and issued 18 summonses for violations.

The ministry also advised the public to be careful before purchasing travel packages to avoid falling for scams, as well as companies selling travel and pilgrimage packages through social media without a license. –  August 5, 2023.