Tag Archives: Kerala Travel Mart Society

Kerala Travel Mart Society, India’s premier tourism and hospitality industry body, has cautioned travellers  coming to the state against being cheated by online fraudsters, citing cases of those duped by some leading travel-agency websites, especially in Kochi and Kumaraokom. In a statement, KTM President Shri Jose Pradeep urged  international tourists and domestic holidayers to be “extremely cautious” about online deals, with the start of the in-bound tourism season setting in. There have been cases of fraudsters trying to mislead and extort guests, who have already done room reservation, through phone calls or text messages, particularly in major destinations like Kochi and Kumarakom. These fraudsters try to force the guests to pay advance payment. Guests, who disagree or backtrack, are being threatened with cancellation of the booking or offered higher-category rooms on immediate payment, KTM Society noted. Fraudsters typically collect money through QR codes or payment links after gaining trust by sending ID cards, which are fake, of hotel employees. “Several tourists have complained of losing huge sums. This has made us ( KTM) to issue a  message of extreme caution, “ Shri Jose Pradeep said. Before making any payment, it is ideal to call the official phone number of the hotel directly to verify the authenticity of the information,  Pradeep said. KTM’s member-hotels  have been cautioned against falling prey to such scams on their websites and vouchers. The 2000-founded KTM is Kerala’s biggest body of stakeholders in the state’s tourism.  

Read More »