Latest news with #travelAgency
The Independent
02-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
Hong Kong teen dies on 5,276m peak in China's Sichuan province
A 16-year-old boy from Hong Kong died after a fatal fall while descending Mount Siguniang – a 5,276-metre mountain in Sichuan province in China, local media reported. The incident occurred on Monday morning during an outdoor activity organised by a local travel agency. The teen had reportedly been enrolled by his parents, who submitted a formal authorisation letter two days earlier. Rescue teams and medical personnel were swiftly deployed after the fall, The Standard reported, but the boy was confirmed dead upon discovery. Rescuers recovered his body around 12.40pm local time on Monday, following a search operation. A video circulating online reportedly appeared to capture the harrowing moment: a figure is seen sliding uncontrollably down the slope as fellow climbers watch on helplessly. Authorities have not officially identified the individual in the footage, however, or released further details about the victim. The Mount Siguniang local authorities confirmed the incident and said the boy's family had arrived in Chengdu. At approximately 8am on Monday, the teen was reported to have slipped while descending a snow-laden slope on the second peak of Mount Siguniang. Local reports suggest he may have been experiencing fatigue at the time, which could have contributed to the fall. Earlier, an image widely shared online, purportedly showing an official notice from the Mount Siguniang Scenic Area Administration, identified the victim as a Hong Kong resident who had been living in Shenzhen in the Guangdong province. According to the bulletin, his parents enrolled him in a guided outdoor activity organised by a travel agency on Saturday, submitting a letter of authorisation as part of the registration process. Hong Kong's immigration department said it was providing assistance to the teen's family through its economic and trade office in Chengdu. A spokesperson said, in a statement that 'appropriate advice and feasible assistance were offered' to the family, according to Hong Kong's
CNA
16-06-2025
- Business
- CNA
Agoda modifies 'problematic features' on website and app after competition watchdog raises concerns
SINGAPORE: Online travel agency Agoda has made changes to its Singapore website and mobile application due to concerns about its "problematic features" raised by the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS). The features were related to Agoda's accommodation search and booking services that may have misled consumers. On Monday (Jun 16), the commission said: "Agoda has since voluntarily provided an undertaking and cooperated with CCCS to make changes to its website and mobile application to ensure that consumers get accurate and adequate information to consider before they make their purchases." THE PROBLEMATIC FEATURES CCCS said in its news release that some of the misleading features included the use of countdown timers and the presentation and ranking of search results. It listed five of them and what Agoda did to rectify them. 1. Agoda presented certain search results as 'Best Match', suggesting that such rankings were the most compatible results for its users based solely on their search criteria such as travel dates or the ratings of items listed. However, Agoda's search results from its algorithm also took into account its potential earnings when generating these results. The "best match" label has been replaced with "our picks", which highlights that these results are recommended by Agoda. 2. The "Agoda Preferred" badge appeared alongside certain properties listed, indicating that these listings have "a long-standing relationship with Agoda and meet specific criteria", making them "trusted and verified". However, Agoda did not provide enough information about the criteria and failed to mention that businesses pay Agoda extra for this badge. It has since updated its explanation to clarify that these properties do indeed pay more commission to get the badge. 3. The default ranking of search results could have led consumers to mistakenly believe that the listings were ordered solely based on their search criteria. However, as stated in Agoda's terms of use, accommodation providers can increase their visibility by paying Agoda through its 'Preferred Partner Program' or by sponsoring the listings. Agoda has modified its explainer statement to clarify that the specific placement of these accommodations is influenced by various factors, including payments made to Agoda. 4. Accommodations with the "cheapest x-star stay label" were not always the lowest-priced options when the search results are sorted by price for the same star-rating. Consumers may mistakenly believe that a labelled accommodation is the cheapest choice available when it may not be. \ The 'cheapest x-stay' label has been removed to avoid confusion. 5. Consumers using Agoda's website had a five-minute countdown timer while entering their details to finalise their accommodation booking. However, this could be extended to up to 20 minutes by clicking the 'I need more time' button. The original five-minute time limit could create a false sense of urgency, prompting consumers to rush to confirm their booking. The website's countdown timer has now been standardised to match the mobile app's time limit, increasing it from five to 20 minutes. In response to competition watchdog's' concerns, Agoda said: 'We appreciate the CCCS's guidance and have taken proactive steps to enhance transparency on our platforms. "We've already proactively implemented several improvements and we continue to enhance the user experience." CNA has asked if the changes applied were just for Singapore users or also included its users elsewhere. INFORMATION SHOULD BE "UPFRONT" In getting Agoda to take remedial action, CCCS said that user interface features rolled out by businesses may mislead or deceive consumers and these can be considered unfair trade practices under Singapore's fair trading laws. This means that these businesses may face enforcement action by the commission. Businesses should therefore design user interface to present options clearly and neutrally to consumers so that consumers may make well-informed choices. "Important and material information, particularly those relating to pricing, should be presented upfront and not be hidden in fine print," it added. "Statements regarding the practices and policies of a business should be clear and easily understood." CCCS' chief executive officer Alvin Koh said: "This is part of a series of actions we will take to improve the online commerce environment, where consumers may face undue pressure to complete their transactions, problematic website features or even 'dark patterns' such as misleading messages, and manipulative user interfaces. "In the coming months, CCCS will make it a point to educate consumers on identifying these misleading practices and how consumers can better protect themselves.'
LBCI
15-06-2025
- LBCI
Lebanon arranges repatriation flights for citizens stranded in Sharm el-Sheikh
The Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority said it has coordinated with the relevant airline and Lebanese travel agency to assist Lebanese citizens stranded in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. In a statement, the authority said the airline submitted an urgent request to operate repatriation flights via a Romanian carrier, with a flight schedule set to begin Monday morning. Preliminary approval has been granted, and the airline has been asked to begin necessary procedures to ensure the passengers are brought home as soon as possible.
Travel Weekly
12-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Fora Travel CEO Henley Vazquez on the agency's NYC pop-up
Host agency Fora Travel is hosting a pop-up shop in New York this month, inviting the public to stop in for a cup of coffee, meet with Fora advisors and attend a variety of special events. The pop-up is located in the city's Soho neighborhood (433 West Broadway) and is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Senior editor Jamie Biesiada spoke with Fora CEO and co-founder Henley Vazquez about the idea and its execution. Henley Vazquez Q: Why are you introducing the concept of a pop-up? A: The idea was, how do you take that sort of old-world travel agency, like the corner store where you go in and plan a trip, and bring it into the new world of Fora, being the modern travel agency? And then also bring the experience that we as advisors have, like interacting with our partners and going to these conferences, and bring that out into the world where our advisors can bring their clients in. A person walking by could come in, interact, plan a trip, sort of put that whole thing into a real-life setting, and do it in Soho. It's very much right in the middle of everything. It's sort of wild to see the Fora flag flying over Soho. Q: What kind of space is it? A: It is a retail space, so quite a long loft. Anybody will be able to walk in. There are different sections of the shop set up. There's an area with lots of brochures, very much like that old-school travel agency. You can come in and go through them, look at the different partners. You can shop Assouline travel books, candles, various things that bring that experience of those suppliers into the world. You can pick up a coffee, so we'll have a barista in there. The back is actually dedicated to planning. If you want to come in and browse and actually sit down, it'll be entirely staffed by Fora advisors and you can sit down and plan or brainstorm a trip. Q: Which advisors are staffing that area? A: It is our Pro and X advisors [higher levels within Fora based on booking volume]. We've had a lot of interest. People are actually flying in from around the country in order to work shifts and be there to talk to travelers and tell them more about what it's like to work with an advisor. It's about them, but it's also about the brand and the experience of being a travel advisor and working with a travel advisor overall. Q: Can you tell me more about the supplier side of it, too? A: It's been really fun. I was there yesterday, and I've broken many nails ripping apart boxes — we have boxes and boxes of merch that our partners have sent in. Everything from leaflets and brochures that are inspirational to beautiful hardcover books that will give you inspiration. There's lots of excitement from our suppliers of giving a place where they can showcase, in a retail way, something that doesn't normally get so much visibility. Q: What would the success of this pop-up look like to you? A: Our summer campaign that we are going to be launching is really the whole idea of — and you'll see some ads around Soho saying this — your trip to Montauk won't plan itself, but a Fora advisor will. For us, the success is pushing forward the narrative that travel is happening. You should be doing it with an advisor to travel better. It's a little intangible what success feels like, because it's not like, 'Oh, I want to see the sales go up so much.' It's just, I want people to walk away with more awareness of the brand of our advisors, of what they're doing, and be inspired to go somewhere new.
