Designer Travel says it is determined to educate the public on travel scams, after noticing an “influx of inexperienced agents” entering the industry. 

Free to download, its new ‘Savvy Traveller’ empowers clients by covering everything from signs of fraud to advice for holiday insurance. 

The 18-page flipbook also offers detailed information on countries’ entry requirements, which has become all the more important in light of post-Brexit travel changes. 

The Ramsbottom-based agency says it was inspired to create the manual last year, after suffering a scam that ended up costing it “thousands of pounds.” 

“We took it upon ourselves to educate the public about protecting themselves as travellers,” Amanda Matthews, co-founder of Designer Travel, told TTG Luxury. 

She believes that Savvy Traveller will be especially useful for clients to distinguish the difference between reputable advisors and self-described travel professionals with no credentials. 

“As professional travel experts, we are frustrated that people are entering this industry without any experience,” Matthews explains. “Booking travel has gotten even more complicated, so it’s crucial we educate people and empower them to ask the right questions.” 

The document, which took months to complete, was officially unveiled at Designer Travel’s annual conference in Abu Dhabi earlier this month. 

“Whilst some of our Savvy Traveller policy could be viewed as being common sense, some of the points covered in our new flipbook are an important reminder to customers about what to look out for,” said Karen Pocock, managing director at Designer Travel.

Common potential customer pitfalls – according to research conducted by the travel agency over the past 12 months – include sending money to a personal bank account and broadcasting your absence on your social media profiles.  

Matthews now says she welcomes other agencies to follow suit: “It was a huge project for a company of our size. We have no problem with competition or people copying us.”