Before booking or paying a deposit, check four things: (1) it’s a licensed travel agency, (2) it’s a Quality Assurance Association member, (3) it carries performance-guarantee insurance, (4) any penalties or disputes. All are publicly verifiable.
Use the Tourism Administration’s agency lookup to confirm the agency is licensed (comprehensive/type-A/type-B), not an unlicensed individual.
Check Travel Quality Assurance Association (TQAA) membership; members carry a performance guarantee that compensates travelers if the agency collapses.
Check the tourism authority’s penalty notices and dispute news; suspiciously cheap tours or requests to wire money to a personal account are red flags.
Keep contract, itinerary and payment records; pay by card where possible (chargeback protection) rather than cash to a personal account.
Back to AI DD Map →If it’s a QAA member with performance-guarantee insurance, you can claim per the rules — which is why you verify membership first.
Be cautious: they may be shopping tours or financially weak; verify license, membership and reviews first.