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Travel + Leisure
18-07-2025
- Business
- Travel + Leisure
These Are the Most Common Travel Scams and How to Outsmart Them, According to Mastercard
The travel industry is particularly susceptible to scams, but the Mastercard Economics Institute has you covered, helping travelers avoid the most common cons so they can hit the road with confidence. Common scams can be as diverse as fake listings or even overcharged meals, according to a recently released report from Mastercard. And reports of fraud can be seasonal, having a tendency to increase more than 18 percent in popular summer destinations during warm periods and more than 28 percent in popular winter destinations during cold seasons. Fraud connected to travel agencies and tour company bookings is particularly common, ranking four times higher than the average fraud rate across other industries. Scams related to taxi and car rental services also have relatively high levels of fraud, according to the report, but scams are less common when it comes to booking other modes of transportation like flights or trains. 'Whether it is scammers targeting unsuspecting travelers or deceptive activities within the booking process, the travel industry is a known target for fraudsters," the company wrote in its report. "The Mastercard Economics Institute (MEI) believes understanding fraud trends is particularly important during periods of uncertain economic climates." The type of fraud and rate of scams can also vary from city to city. Scams around taxi and car rental services, for example, make up nearly 66 percent of complaints in Jakarta, but only account for 2 percent of the incidents reported in Barcelona or Hong Kong. Food service-related fraud is prominent in several cities in the United States, Riyadh, Manila, and Phuket. (Food services accounted for 63 percent of reported fraud causes in New York City and 75 percent of reported fraud cases in Los Angeles, for example). The cities with the highest relative levels of reported scams were Cancun, Mexico; Hanoi, Vietnam; Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Bangkok, Thailand. Even before taking off on a vacation, travelers should be aware of the potential for scams in the trip planning process. The report showed trip planning fraud rose more than 12 percent last year compared to 2023, including fake confirmation links, manipulated photographs, and more. Unusually low prices that seem too good to be true—especially in popular tourist destinations or during peak seasons—should be viewed with caution. But there are ways travelers can protect themselves against potential fraud and scams when traveling both domestic and abroad, including by buying travel insurance or booking their trips with credit cards that have strong fraud protection.
CBC
26-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Calgary 'bucking the trend' as U.S. visits to area surge amid nationwide slump
Canada may be seeing fewer American visitors this spring, but Calgary is proving to be the outlier. Statistics Canada released data this week showing 1.3 million U.S. residents made trips to Canada in April, which is down 8.9 per cent from the same month in 2024. Looking at air travel specifically, StatsCan released data earlier this month that showed a six-per-cent drop in U.S. residents arriving at major Canadian airports in April 2025, compared to April the previous year. However, at the Calgary International Airport, the picture was completely different, with U.S. arrivals up by 29 per cent. Calgary's airport has been an outlier for several months in a row, with a six-per-cent increase in U.S. visitors in February and an eight-per-cent increase in March. Across all major Canadian airports, by contrast, air travel by American residents was pretty much unchanged in February and March, compared to the same months in 2024. "Calgary and Alberta have so much to offer," said Alisha Reynolds, president with Tourism Calgary. "We're delighted to be bucking the trend." Reynolds said data has indicated that spending from the United States has trended positive since the beginning of the year in Calgary, and it has maintained strength through to the end of April. She noted that Mastercard Economics Institute ranked Calgary among the emerging top destinations for summer travel among the US and Canada relative to the same time last year, the only Canadian city to make that list. The tourism industry has been navigating a complex backdrop in recent months, with fewer Canadians travelling to the United States since U.S. President Donald Trump's election win. On the flip side, tourism associations have worried that Americans might stay home, fearing a less-than-receptive response from Canadians. Asked why Calgary is doing so well relative to other Canadian cities, Reynolds suggested coordinated advertising and a busy convention calendar could have been contributors. "We take a 'Team Alberta' approach … between Tourism Calgary and Travel Alberta," she said. "We've made a concerted effort through all this noise to target U.S. travelers to reinforce our city and our province as destinations of choice for both business and leisure." Airport cites major events, favourable exchange rate The Calgary Airport Authority said it had seen the increase in visitation to Calgary from U.S. residents this April. It attributed that increase to a number of factors, including stronger air connectivity with U.S. routes, major event activity and favourable currency exchange for U.S. travellers. "Overall, the strength we're seeing has continued through May and June, and aligns with what we expected heading into peak season where we expect over 67,000 passengers through YYC daily from June to August," reads a statement from the airport. Canmore tourism sector optimistic as major events shine spotlight on town in 2025 Rob Filby, managing partner of the Rose and Crown in Canmore, has watched the uptick in American travellers first-hand. For some American tourists, the Canadian Rockies remain a strong draw, he said. "It definitely started, I'd say in the wintertime — the American dollar was so strong. And we always get a lot of American. We're a tourist town," Filby said. "Obviously, the Bow Valley is a bucket list place where people want to come and see." Filby, who also bartends and regularly chats with customers, said he's noticing a shift in how long American tourists are staying, too. "Previously, they would be shorter periods, maybe three or four days over their American holiday," he said. "But with their dollar being strong, they're staying longer and spending more." Jack Jiang, a trust and estates attorney who lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia, was visiting the region this past week. On Wednesday, he was on a flight back home with his wife after visiting Banff, which he said always had attracted him with its blue waters and great hikes. "It was amazing. We will never look at lakes the same way again. We loved how there are many types of hikes of different skill levels and rewarding views," Jiang told CBC News via text, using the in-flight WiFi. Jiang said he was aware of the recent strain in U.S.-Canada relations, but it didn't affect the couple much. "We did read the recent strain in the news and were actually glad to get away from the country that initiated the tension and enjoy some off-the-grid weather," Jiang said. "Hopefully no major rift, we wish the two nations remain friendly and not hostile." Though Canada saw an 8.9-per-cent decrease in U.S. residents taking trips to Canada in April, that still represented 76.7 per cent of all non-resident trips to Canada that month.
Euronews
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Euronews
Roma children, fighting discrimination with chess, here's what they do in Romania
Adriana Pascu, 16 years old, of Roma ethnicity, is a skilled chess player. Thanks to the game, she has developed strong analysis and concentration skills that also help her in her studies. Playing chess was not a matter of course for her and the other children of the Roma community in the Romanian city of Satu Mare. They learnt through the 'Chess for change' project started in 2019 by the Stea association, active in the social integration of Roma children. These children made progress in all areas, especially at school. "I am much more reflective, more focused, and memorise lessons faster," Adriana explains. Chess activates memory, the ability to analyse and anticipate. For Alex Geiger, a chess teacher, it is one of the most democratic sports: "Chess teaches children fair-play; it is the only sport, I would say, where we are all equal, no matter if you are male or female, if you have a handicap." The first objective of the Stea association was precisely to combat early school leaving and motivate children to at least complete the compulsory school cycle. "Chess allows these youngsters to realise that if they put their mind to it and are persistent, they can achieve good results," explains Cristina Bala, the director of the Stea centre. "Children and teenagers," she says, "have managed to participate in competitions, even international ones, and have also won prizes; they have been able to gain positive experiences and gain the recognition and esteem of others. Initially, teachers at school were sceptical, not thinking that Roma children could ever succeed in chess: today they support the project because the children involved are more motivated and better at studying as well. As Delia Sabou, Adriana's teacher, says: "We have noticed in all the children involved in the project that there is an important cognitive progression, an increase in concentration and an improvement in social interaction with their peers and teachers. The director of the Stea centre, Cristina Bala, immediately realised the potential of chess and introduced the activity in 2019. The total cost of the project for the first year was EUR 70,000, with the European Union contributing EUR 60,000 thanks to Cohesion Policy funds. The chess piece that Adriana prefers is the queen, because it is the most powerful piece. She plans to be an accountant when she grows up. It is clear that her life has taken on a new impetus and she will be the real queen of her future. Off to Barcelona in the summer? Make sure to pick a proper travel agent. Taking a trip to London? Watch out for fake car rentals. The risk of being scammed at popular tourism spots jumps by 28% during peak seasons. Some examples are fake destination photos, broken confirmation links and bogus deals. Travel agencies seem to be the places most at risk, with scam rates "four times higher than the global average," according to a new report by the Mastercard Economics Institute. Fraudsters often establish fake tourism companies, attracting customers with juicy offers for excursions, guided tours or supposedly exclusive experiences, while offering unusually low prices. Once the transaction is processed, these tours either never take place or differ entirely from expectations. The report compared around twenty different cities to establish where the risk is highest. In general, tourists reported the lowest travel-related frauds in San Francisco, Dublin, Seoul, Budapest and Edinburgh, while the highest rates were reported in Cancun, Hanoi, Dhaka and Bangkok. So, how are tourists most likely to fall into a trap in these places? Travel-agency related frauds are the most likely in Hong Kong (70%), Delhi (64%), Barcelona (64%) and Cancun (48%). Taxi and car rentals aren't immune either: Tourists may pay for a service that never materialises after booking, or overpay due to hidden fees, inflated prices or rigged taximeters. Jakarta (66%) has the highest taxi fraud rate across all cities analysed, followed by Bangkok (48%), Istanbul (39%) and London (34%). Food scams also pose problems, such as meals that never arrive, or being overcharged at a restaurant through high service fees. That is particularly true in American cities like LA and New York, where food scams represent respectively 75% and 63% of the total. At the same time, in fraudsters in the accommodation sector may use holiday rental platforms or travel websites to create fake listings and lead tourists to book non-existent properties, or ones that greatly differ from the descriptions advertised. Tourists headed to Phuket in Thailand and Antalya in Turkey should be particularly wary, as accommodation scam rates there represent 39% and 35% of the total, respectively. Looking on the bright side, booking flights and trains remains relatively safe across all surveyed cities, with scam rates generally staying below 10%. However, travellers are at risk of fraud well before they leave home. An analysis of aggregate transaction data shows that in 2024, fraud linked to early trip planning rose by over 12% compared to the previous year. "Fake travel agency websites and excursions that closely resemble genuine services can make it harder for consumers to spot red flags", Mastercard's Executive VP Services Europe Michele Centenaro tells Euronews. He adds that the company aims to eliminate manual card entry by 2030 to boost security: "Digital wallets, protected by tokenisation and advanced AI-driven fraud prevention tools are improving consumer protection".
Euronews
09-06-2025
- Euronews
Holiday planning: Where and how are you most likely to get scammed?
Off to Barcelona in the summer? Make sure to pick a proper travel agent. Taking a trip to London? Watch out for fake car rentals. The risk of being scammed at popular tourism spots jumps by 28% during peak seasons. Some examples are fake destination photos, broken confirmation links and bogus deals. Travel agencies seem to be the places most at risk, with scam rates "four times higher than the global average," according to a new report by the Mastercard Economics Institute. Fraudsters often establish fake tourism companies, attracting customers with juicy offers for excursions, guided tours or supposedly exclusive experiences, while offering unusually low prices. Once the transaction is processed, these tours either never take place or differ entirely from expectations. The report compared around twenty different cities to establish where the risk is highest. In general, tourists reported the lowest travel-related frauds in San Francisco, Dublin, Seoul, Budapest and Edinburgh, while the highest rates were reported in Cancun, Hanoi, Dhaka and Bangkok. So, how are tourists most likely to fall into a trap in these places? Travel-agency related frauds are the most likely in Hong Kong (70%), Delhi (64%), Barcelona (64%) and Cancun (48%). Taxi and car rentals aren't immune either: Tourists may pay for a service that never materialises after booking, or overpay due to hidden fees, inflated prices or rigged taximeters. Jakarta (66%) has the highest taxi fraud rate across all cities analysed, followed by Bangkok (48%), Istanbul (39%) and London (34%). Food scams also pose problems, such as meals that never arrive, or being overcharged at a restaurant through high service fees. That is particularly true in American cities like LA and New York, where food scams represent respectively 75% and 63% of the total. At the same time, in fraudsters in the accommodation sector may use holiday rental platforms or travel websites to create fake listings and lead tourists to book non-existent properties, or ones that greatly differ from the descriptions advertised. Tourists headed to Phuket in Thailand and Antalya in Turkey should be particularly wary, as accommodation scam rates there represent 39% and 35% of the total, respectively. Looking on the bright side, booking flights and trains remains relatively safe across all surveyed cities, with scam rates generally staying below 10%. However, travellers are at risk of fraud well before they leave home. An analysis of aggregate transaction data shows that in 2024, fraud linked to early trip planning rose by over 12% compared to the previous year. "Fake travel agency websites and excursions that closely resemble genuine services can make it harder for consumers to spot red flags", Mastercard's Executive VP Services Europe Michele Centenaro tells Euronews. He adds that the company aims to eliminate manual card entry by 2030 to boost security: "Digital wallets, protected by tokenisation and advanced AI-driven fraud prevention tools are improving consumer protection". The EU has struck a new ocean pact meant to protect Europe's coasts and "life in and around the sea", European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice. The EU's goal is to bring 20% of Europe's marine ecosystems back to life by 2030, she explained. 'We will strive to cut plastic and nutrient pollution by half within five years,' von der Leyen announced, adding: 'We will restore natural habitats and shelter our coasts more effectively from the impact of climate change.' The European Commission adopted the pact last Thursday. The strategy aims to enhance ocean protection and restoration by supporting member states and revising several European laws related to maritime areas. The EU's executive also wants to boost the competitiveness of the maritime industry with a new strategy for the sector and a strategy for EU ports. 'Our fishers work tirelessly to feed us, day and night, in all conditions. Yet extreme weather and unfair competition are pushing too many of them out of business,' the Commission president said, announcing some grants to support small-scale fisheries. Von der Leyen also promised that €1 billion would be allocated for 50 projects around the world for scientists and conservationists, a third of which is due to finance research and scientific projects. The pact should lead to specific legislation that will be proposed by 2027, the Commission said. Eight years after the inaugural edition in New York, France is hosting the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice from Monday to Friday. Around 60 countries are coming together to support the protection and restoration of ocean spaces damaged by human activity. Unlike the United Nations' climate change conferences, or COPs, no formal agreement can be negotiated during the UNOC3. However, France hopes to secure as many signatures as possible for the High Seas Treaty, which requires 60 countries to ratify it for it to enter into force. The treaty aims to enable the creation of protected marine areas in international waters. 'Today, we are inches away from the 60 signatures for ratification,' von der Leyen said, announcing €40 million for the Global Ocean programme designed to strengthen protection of oceans in least developed countries. 'Please speed up ratification. Because our ocean needs us to play its part,' she added.
The Star
26-05-2025
- The Star
As summer travel season heats up in Vietnam, experts issue warnings against online scams
HANOI: As Vietnam enters its golden summer travel season, domestic tourism is ramping up with an array of new experiences and enticing promotions. Alongside the excitement, however, experts are urging travellers to remain vigilant against increasingly sophisticated online scams targeting holidaymakers. While travel goals and preferences have evolved, Vietnam's summer holiday hotspots remain familiar. According to which analysed domestic search data from June 1 to July 31, 2025, up to 61 per cent of Vietnamese families are choosing beach destinations, followed by 59 per cent seeking nature experiences, and 45 per cent opting for city explorations. Top domestic destinations include Danang, Nha Trang, Dalat, Phu Quoc and Vung Tau. For outbound travel, Singapore, Tokyo and Bangkok continue to be the most searched international cities, marking their second consecutive year on the list. Major travel agencies are rolling out flexible and proactive strategies to meet seasonal demand. Meanwhile, the travel sector is embracing digital transformation, incorporating smart maps, QR-based tour guides, virtual assistants and AI-personalised itineraries—designed to give tourists more autonomy and a seamless, emotionally rich travel experience. Provinces and cities are also working to refresh their tourism offerings. Hanoi has introduced night food and art tours; Hanam opened a Sun World water park with evening hours; Hai Phong launched the 'Green Island Symphony' art show and high-end Hoa Phuong Do cruise service; Quang Ninh is hosting the 'Ocean Dance' night performance; Sa Pa continues its Rose Festival; Hue celebrates its Summer Festival, and Danang returns with the International Fireworks Festival. A survey by the Mastercard Economics Institute ranks tourism among the sectors most vulnerable to scams, with fraud cases rising 18 per cent in summer and 28 per cent in winter of 2024. The cities where travellers faced the highest risk included Cancun (Mexico), Hanoi, Dhaka (Bangladesh), and Bangkok (Thailand). In contrast, destinations rated safest by tourists were San Francisco (USA), Dublin (Ireland), Seoul (South Korea), Budapest (Hungary) and Edinburgh (Scotland). According to the report, scams typically involved tour companies and travel agents, with travellers paying for trips that were later altered or cancelled without warning. Other common traps included rental car fraud, overpriced or rigged taxi services, fake airline or train tickets, hotel booking scams and being ripped off at souvenir shops. Online fraud schemes have become increasingly complex and widespread. A marketing executive from a leading global resort brand operating six properties in Vietnam revealed that the company had dealt with around 170 fake fanpages impersonating their brand. Alarmingly, these fraudulent pages continue to emerge even after takedowns. Some are so sophisticated that they even bear verified checkmarks, making them nearly indistinguishable from the official pages and easily deceiving unsuspecting users. According to the Vietnam Cybersecurity Association, online scams caused an estimated VNĐ18.9 trillion (approximately $760 million) in losses across Vietnam in 2024 alone. A significant portion of this involved scammers creating fake travel brand fanpages, impersonating hotels, airlines and tour operators, often pushing heavily discounted tours, airfares, or hotel packages to lure victims. The scams typically operate via Facebook, Zalo and sometimes TikTok, where fraudsters ask customers to transfer deposits, then disappear—often by blocking communication or deleting the page. Others use phishing links to steal personal data and OTP codes, enabling unauthorised bank withdrawals. These schemes exploit users' desire for cheap deals, lack of travel experience and overconfidence. Scammers are increasingly adept at mimicking legitimate marketing tactics. Experts recommend several ways to differentiate real from fake fanpages, even those with verification checkmarks. Authentic pages have an accurate brand name, a long post history, polished content and contact information matching the official website. Fake pages are often newly created, contain poor grammar, and lack detailed contact info. They may also have recently changed names or repurposed from unrelated pages. Search via official websites, not by typing the page name on Facebook. Fake fanpages often pay for ads to appear at the top of search results. Scammers may run Google Ads to place fake websites at the top of search rankings, increasing the likelihood of users clicking into scam pages. Travellers are encouraged to stay alert, verify every detail and report suspicious activity to help protect themselves and others during the peak travel season. — Vietnam News/ANN
