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Irish Times
10-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Booking.com scams are on the rise: Here's how to avoid them
– what's that again? It is one of the biggest online travel agencies, which since 2007 has been responsible for more than three billion bookings. It's a one-stop-shop for booking flights, hotels and rental apartments, attractions and transport. What scams have been happening? There have been a number of very convincing scams concerning hotel or apartment/villa rental bookings which are on the increase as holidays loom. How do they work? Hackers obtain details of hotels' and rental companies' accounts on They then email customers who have legitimately booked to stay in these locations via the website, and demand that they must urgently make a payment (first or final instalment) or give credit card details or be at risk of losing their booking. Typically, if users have paid a deposit or first instalment, will have saved their payment details in order to fulfil further payments on an agreed date. [ Banks warn customers to be vigilant over holiday scams Opens in new window ] The scammers will have precise information about a customer's booking, including dates of the stay or reservation number, and when a payment is due, so these emails can be very convincing. The same messages will also appear in the direct messaging function on the app, that customers use to talk directly to rental companies or hotels. The bogus messages will typically include an external link prompting the victim to a dupe payment page where the scammers can take money directly from the victim's account. Who has fallen victim to this scam? It has been an ongoing issue, but based on anecdotal and online accounts, incidents are on the increase. Notably, in January of this year, the consumer rights champion Brendan Burgess, founder of fell victim to such a scam. Bogus messages will typically include an external link prompting victims to a dupe payment page where the scammers can take money directly from an account. How can I avoid getting scammed? If you have booked with and receive an email or an in-app message telling you that you must pay up right away or you are at risk of losing your reservation, be suspicious. If you receive any messages that you find suspicious, call the hotel directly and ask them to verify the message you have been sent. Never click on an external link that is trying to take you away from the website – this will be scammers trying to take you to a dupe payment page to capture your banking information. What does say? If you are in doubt about a seemingly bona fide message from the site, you should contact customer service team (easier said than done) and/or the accommodation provider directly. Be suspicious of links you are sent. Genuine payments will be made on the app or website only. Look out for common fraud tactics and giveaways. 'Scam messages often include urgent language and may contain spelling or grammar errors,' says. If you have put your card details into a site, call your card provider. You may need to block or cancel your card.
Harvard Business Review
08-07-2025
- Business
- Harvard Business Review
At Booking.com, Innovation Means Constant Failure (Summer Repeat)
Details Transcript During a busy travel season, digital travel platform wanted to try an experiment that would mean changing the site's landing page. The CEO at the time, Gillian Tans, made the decision to lean into the company's 'test everything' culture—even if it meant failure. In this episode from 2019, Harvard Business School Professor Stefan Thomke and host Brian Kenny discuss how past experience and intuition can be misleading when attempting to launch an innovative new product, service, business model, or process. Instead, and other innovative firms embrace a culture where testing, experimentation, and even failure are at the heart of what they do. As you plan your summer travels, enjoy this episode about cultivating an experimental mindset with insights from the case and Professor Thomke's book Experimentation Works.
South China Morning Post
07-07-2025
- South China Morning Post
Sustainable tourism: redefining luxury and responsibility
[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] As travel rebounds post-pandemic, sustainable tourism is reshaping the industry worldwide. Sustainable Travel Report 2024 reveals that 75 per cent of global travellers aim to travel more sustainably in the next year, challenging destinations, industries, and policymakers to redefine tourism for both enrichment and sustainability. Having dedicated over ten years to sustainable tourism research, Professor Lisa Wan, Associate Professor at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School, is leading this transformative shift in the region. Play Understanding the heart of sustainable tourism At its core, sustainable tourism seeks to minimise negative environmental impacts while fostering economic growth and cultural exchange. This balance becomes crucial as the consequences of unsustainable tourism grow more evident with the post-COVID tourism surge worldwide. Professor Wan highlights how overtourism has strained local resources and infrastructure, exacerbating issues like waste and environmental degradation. Solutions, she says, lie in encouraging more responsible tourist behaviour and redefining destinations not as transient playgrounds but as interconnected, shared spaces.
The Sun
02-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Reason why you should never book a hotel or holiday on you laptop revealed
EXPERTS have revealed the reason why you should never book a hotel or holiday on your laptop. With summer upon us, many will be scouring the likes of and Expedia for a last-minute getaway. 1 But if you are thinking of booking a holiday on your laptop, you might want to think twice. That is because you could end up paying more than customers who booked the same deal via their smart phone. Hotel and holiday groups often have special deals for mobile and app users to help drive traffic to their websites. Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown, said it is the firms' business to "persuade you to download the app." "They can collect more of your data and target you more effectively to persuade you to book again." Mobile only pricing is also used as a marketing tool to help drive more sales. Tom Church, co-founder of discount code platform found a £16 price difference for the same hotel found on He said: "A hotel in Granada, the Pension Venecia Gomerez, was £163 per night on the computer, but on the mobile app it was £147 per night, £16 cheaper." Research by The Sun also found the booking website was offering mobile customers a £112 discount on a hotel in Benidorm if they booked via the app. The Hotel Flats Friends Mar Blau costs £412 on the website but £300 if you secure the deal on your phone. My dream pool was £40,000 so I DIYd my own 18ft version in February all for this summer heatwave - it's saved me £37,000 The same goes for Expedia, with mobile users getting a £150 discount on a stay at the Hotel Ronda House in Barcelona. It is worth noting that prices may vary depending on what time of year you booking your holiday. Martyn James, consumer expert, said: "It might seem illogical and strange, but booking using a phone app can get you a big discount. "Regardless, always check the app before you book - but make sure you look at the hotel's website or app direct too, in case they have even better rates." MORE HOLIDAY HACKS If you are planning a trip abroad this summer, it is important to be clued up so you don't risk loosing cash. For example, customers should avoid exchanging money at the airport as you face paying higher fees. Money exchange hubs at the airport tend to a captive market, so firms can charge a higher premium for using the service. Kara Gammell, personal finance expert at MoneySuperMarket, previously told The Sun: "Don't wait to buy your travel money at the airport as you will pay a premium. "And never pay for your currency with a credit card as paying on plastic means you'll be charged a 'cash advance fee." This fee is charged on ATM withdrawals but also on transactions such as online gambling and buying foreign currency. You should also be aware that banks tend to charge customers a fee for using their debit or credit card abroad. NatWest charges customers a 2.75% fee for spending your debit card abroad. But plenty of banks, such as Monzo, do not charge for this service. Are there other options to for spending abroad? There are several specialist cards that can give you a great exchange rate. These cards include travel credit cards and pre-paid cards which can let you pay abroad without fees or at a set exchange rate. Senior Consumer Reporter Olivia Marshall explains all the options. Travel credit cards: Travel credit cards allow you to spend money abroad without being hit by any fees or hidden charges. But, they may still charge you for taking cash out. We recommend the Halifax's Clarity Card as it won't charge you for using it abroad, nor are there any fees for withdrawing cash. But you will be charged interest if you don't repay your balance in full at a rate of 19.9 per cent. And you will be charged interest on cash withdrawals until your balance is paid off too, at a rate of between 19.9 and 27.95 per cent depending on your credit score. In other words, just because you are using plastic abroad doesn't mean you don't have to pay these credit cards off like you normally would. Always pay off your balance before the end of the month with these cards to make sure that any money you saved isn't wiped away by paying interest. For more on travel credit cards you can read our guide here. Pre-paid cards: An alternative to carrying cash around is to get a pre-paid card. These cards allow you to put a set amount of cash on the card at a fixed exchange rate. So if the rate is good at the moment, you can put money on your card and it will stay that rate when you are on holiday. Just keep in mind that these cards can sometimes have hidden costs and charges so be sure to read the small print.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Yahoo
‘Your reservation is at risk': beware the Booking.com scam
You've booked the hotel and you're starting to look forward to your break when you get a message telling you to make a payment, or give your credit card details, to secure your holiday. It's come through the app, or in an email that looks legitimate, so you get out your credit card in panic and pay. As the summer holidays get into full swing many of us are primed to hear from travel providers – making it open season for scammers. One of many holiday-related frauds preys on customers who have booked somewhere to stay via the platform either via its website or app. In the UK, Action Fraud received 532 reports of the scam between June 2023 and September 2024, with victims losing a total of £370,000. It says that it is likely hackers are using phishing attacks against accommodation providers and then using the details to contact customers – sometimes via WhatsApp but often through the real platform. This means the usual things to look out for – odd email addresses, or texts, may not apply. Cases seen by Guardian Money have typically involved the theft of several hundred pounds. The global nature of the platform means it can happen to you wherever in the world you live, or plan to holiday. Regulators in countries including Australia have warned of the issue. said: 'Unfortunately, there is an increasing number of online scams targeting many businesses operating in the e-commerce space. With the rise of AI, cybercriminals are able to create increasingly sophisticated scams.' It said continually invested in cybersecurity technology, and incidents on the platform were rare. The message may say that your payment details need to be verified, or that there has been a problem with your card. It will try to make you panic by telling you your accommodation will be cancelled if you don't respond – it will probably give you a deadline to act by – usually a few hours away. There will be a link in the message for you to click on to give your card details. A separate scam also preying on would-be holidaymakers involves fake web pages which are used to trick people into downloading a malicious file that gives criminals full control of your device. The technology firm HP Wolf Security says scammers are emailing links to the pages and visitors are asked to accept cookies before they can see the full site – it is when they press 'accept' that the file downloads. A payment, or credit card details which the scammers say will just be used to pre-authorise or verify the card before your stay. They then charge it. Try not to panic about your holiday and don't respond until you've checked the message is genuine. advises: 'Always double-check the property's payment policies listed on the booking page or in your confirmation email. If there is no pre-payment policy or deposit requirement outlined, but you're asked to pay in advance to secure your booking, it is likely a scam.' If you are in doubt, contact customer service team and/or the accommodation provider directly. Be suspicious of any links you are sent. Genuine payments will be made on the app or website – you won't be sent to another site. Look out for common fraud tactics and giveaways. 'Scam messages often include urgent language and may contain spelling or grammar errors,' says. If you have put your card details into a site, call your card provider. You may need to block or cancel your card. also advises enabling two-factor authorisation on your account 登入存取你的投資組合
