Bookings, payments, and guest contact are increasingly handled via digital platforms. This makes both travelers and entrepreneurs more vulnerable to fraud. According to researcher Alinda Kokkinou of Breda University of Applied Sciences, the real work of prevention lies with the booking platforms themselves, because they control the information flows and their security.
While traveling, familiar routines fall away
During a vacation, travelers encounter many new experiences, causing familiar routines to fall away. According to Kokkinou, this makes it difficult to distinguish between something that is simply different and actual fraud.
Is paying via WhatsApp perhaps very common in this country? Is it really mandatory to send your passport and credit card details in advance?
Alinda Kokkinou, Breda University of Applied Sciences
It is precisely this doubt that makes travelers vulnerable to scams via fake profiles, false payment requests, and hijacked conversations in chat environments.
Small business owners are particularly vulnerable
It is not only travelers who fall victim. Entrepreneurs are also increasingly facing this. Digital tools increase convenience, but at the same time raise the risk.
Small businesses, in particular, are vulnerable. According to the researcher, small hospitality and accommodation entrepreneurs often lack the digital skills and resources to proactively address cybersecurity. This is relevant for a sector in which many campsites, B&Bs, and small-scale accommodations operate without their own IT department.
What entrepreneurs and guests can do themselves
Travelers and entrepreneurs can take precautionary measures themselves. Kokkinou mentions consciously thinking about what information is shared and verifying a payment request with the entrepreneur by phone.
For leisure businesses, this also means paying attention to their own communication: making it clear through which channels and payment methods a booking is processed, so that a guest recognizes a deviating request more quickly.
The key lies with the platforms
According to Kokkinou, however, the real prevention work lies with the platforms themselves, because they play the largest role in the information flows and their security.
If this does not happen, trust in digital platforms risks being permanently damaged, and travelers and entrepreneurs will ultimately opt for less convenience, but more transparency and control.
Alinda Kokkinou
Travelers and entrepreneurs rely on well-known platforms to prevent, detect, and quickly remedy fraud. If this does not happen, she argues, it harms not only that trust but also the competitive advantage of the platforms themselves.
For accommodation businesses, this discussion directly impacts the revenue model: the more doubt arises regarding the security of indirect channels, the more important a reliable and recognizable in-house booking process becomes.
More information
Source: Alinda Kokkinou, Breda University of Applied Sciences , September 1, 2026, sent via ANP Connect. Image: rupixen via Unsplash.