Safe Communities Portugal is organising a public seminar in Cascais, the first of its kind in Portugal, to create awareness concerning the increasing threat of online fraud affecting the tourism industry and holidaymakers themselves.
It will be held on Friday, June 23 in the auditorium of the Cultural Centre of Cascais, starting at 4.15pm.
With the global increase in on-line fraud and various scams, the tourism industry worldwide has become an inviting target for cyber criminals. This includes online villa letting fraud, fake travel websites, air ticket fraud, as well as many others.
The seminar will explore the threats to tourism posed by this, and what steps are being taken in Portugal to identify the risks and reduce the affects.
It is important that those in the tourism industry, such as villa letting companies, property management companies and tour operators are aware of these threats and how to reduce the risk to businesses as well as their clients. Likewise, it is important that holidaymakers know how to recognise possible fraud in order to avoid being scammed.
The seminar will bring together those in government and those in the industry in order to create awareness, share best practices in combating this sort of crime. It will include presentations by the government’s consumer rights authority; the association of Local Accommodation in Portugal, the Cybercrime Office of the Attorney-General of the Republic, the Australian Embassy, Public Security Police (PSP) and Safe Communities Portugal.
This is a unique opportunity for travel companies, property letting and management companies as well as those who let their properties to attend. Entry is free and the language will be English and Portuguese.
Safe Communities Portugal and the Algarve tourism bard are planning a seminar on the same topic which will be held later. Details will be published in due course.
913045093 | [email protected]
By DAVID THOMAS
