The expert named ways to identify unscrupulous tour operators

The first step to a safe vacation is careful consideration of choosing a travel agent and booking. You should download apps only from official stores, and buy tickets and tours on trusted websites. On May 16, Emil Ziyadinov, head of tours at the Tutu travel service, told Izvestia how to protect yourself from unscrupulous tour operators.

He recommended studying the latest reviews about the tour operator and the living conditions — scammers often create fictitious offers with non-existent hotels.

"Check the tour operator. It must be registered as a legal entity or sole proprietor and be included in the Unified Federal Register of Tour Operators — without this, the company cannot operate," Ziyadinov drew attention.

Gad in the direction: how Russians are deceived when buying burning vouchers

Scammers use last year's phishing site templates

If the price of the tour is suspiciously low, and the tour operator is little known, you need to be vigilant. In addition, sometimes scammers create fake websites and design them in the style of well-known companies and aggregators, offering incredible discounts.

The expert also advised that all transactions should be carried out only through official company accounts, and not to an individual's personal card or via a link in a messenger or social media, and it is imperative to keep the receipt — this is a guarantee of security and protection of the buyer's rights if something goes wrong.

The specialist identified several key criteria for a bona fide company: official registration as a legal entity or sole proprietor, availability in the Unified Federal Register of Tour Operators, and experience in the market.

Ziyadinov warned that the suspiciously low price of the tour from a little—known operator, offers of payment to personal cards of employees, links for money transfer in messengers - all this should alert the traveler.

In case of fraud, the expert advises to contact the police immediately, preserving all evidence.: screenshots of conversations, payment details, and information about the site.

"Save as much information as possible: screenshots of the correspondence, the website, and all the payment details," the specialist suggested.

Earlier, on April 21, it was reported that the traditional beach holiday is gradually losing ground. Russians are increasingly interested in author tours from local residents (25%), sanatorium recreation (24%), railway routes (11%) and gastronomic trips (10%). This is stated in the results of a study of the omnichannel marketing platform Calltouch.