The holidays are approaching and the desire to organize a trip grows. And social networks are, many times, a very good tool to get inspired and learn more about a place, as well as to obtain, first-hand, information about how to visit a certain destination.
But in the search of proposals, ideas, recommendations and good prices, it is important to remember that, to avoid scams, trips must be booked in authorized agencies by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Nation.
What is this warning for? To what social media users (or influencers) have been detected) that sell tourist products or services without being authorized to do so or without any type of relationship with a travel agency.
“There is a large number of communicators on social networks who carry out a conscious and respectful task informing about the differentials and attractions of destinations and tourist products who are part, even as communicators of our strategic allies,” explains Andrés Deyá, president of FAEVYT, the Argentine Federation of Travel and Tourism Companies, which represents more than 5,000 Argentine travel agencies.
“But one task should not be confused with another. It is one thing to communicate and Another very different thing is to market. That is why it is so important that they do not get carried away by misleading advertising and that they always use a qualified travel agency,” warns Deyá.
In short, influencers can show spectacular destinations, but they cannot sell trips.
How do I know if a travel agency is authorized?
-In the case of a physical travel agency, you must check the address, that it is authorized and that it has file number.
-If it is an online agency, the site must be enabled as a “virtual premises” and have the domain “.tur.ar”.
-On the website of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Nation (www.argentina.gob.ar/turismoydeportes/agencias/turistas) there is a search engine that allows you to verify whether an agency is enabled or not.
-Beyond these legal issues, it is also important know the history of a travel agencypay attention to the experience of other clients and take into account whether the agency belongs to travel agency organizations, a fact that also adds an endorsement.
Illegal tourist services: detection and reporting
This is not the first time that FAEVYT has warned about situations that can cause problems for unsuspecting travelers.
The entity has a Social Networks Laboratory -created five years ago- which aims to detect and report illegal profiles that market tourist products without being enabled with misleading posts.
Since its inception, the Laboratory has managed to find and report more than 16,500 profiles in “irregular situation” that offer tourism products on networks.
What does “irregular situation” mean?
-Agencies that are correctly enabled, but that display their data (file number, website, etc.) incorrectly.
-Illegal profiles that are not authorized or registered to sell tourist products.