SIBU: Members of public who plan to go travelling or on a tour are advised to liaise with travel and tour agencies that have a good track record in handling tour packages rather than using unknown ones.
Minister of Tourism, Arts,Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah when giving this advice here yesterday also stressed that this was important to avoid falling prey to unscrupulous travel agents who lure unsuspecting tourists with cheap travel packages.
He said this in response to the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) call for consumers to be vigilant over 'cheap travel packages' offered by travel agencies, especially online. MATTA President Datuk Tan Kok Liang had commented on a media report on a travel package scam involving over RM810,000 and affecting some 120 travellers.
Tan reminded consumers to practice diligence before signing up for travel packages offered online such as through social media platforms llike Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, adding that there is no such thing as 'free lunch'.