Increase in tourist grievances by 21% reported
Increase in Tourism Sector Complaints: A Growing Concern
In the first half of 2025, the tourism sector has witnessed a significant rise in consumer complaints. According to recent data, the number of complaints filed against the Hotels, Travel, and Tourism category increased by 21% compared to the same period in 2024.
Key Complaint Segments
The increase in complaints is primarily driven by a rise in travel-related scams, heightened traveler anxiety, and dissatisfaction with costs and service quality segments. Key complaint segments include vacation rental scams, timeshare resale frauds, and frustrations around expensive hotel extras and stressful airport experiences.
Reasons for the Increase in Complaints
The growth in travel scams, such as vacation rental scams and timeshare resale scams, is a significant concern. Scammers pose as legitimate agents offering fake vacation rentals or timeshare resale services, demanding upfront payments that lead to losses.
Rising inflation expectations and economic uncertainty have also made consumers more cautious, leading to heightened sensitivity to pricing and service issues. Additionally, increased anxiety about flight delays, cancellations, airport crowding, and in-flight irritations boosts traveler frustration levels.
Segments Prone to Complaints
Fraudulent activities in vacation rentals and timeshares cause significant consumer loss and dissatisfaction. Complaints center around high prices for extras, noise, disruptions, and limited amenities like kitchen access in hotels. Common grievances in air travel include delays, safety concerns, long airport processes, crowding, and uncomfortable onboard behavior.
Location and Trend Insights
The rise in scams is linked with the booming global travel market, where millions are booking trips but falling prey to deception. Summer travel remains peak season, with increased complaints correlating with higher travel volumes during this period. The U.S. market sees a cooling growth signal from economic headwinds, which may affect consumer satisfaction and complaint rates.
Complaint Trends by Age and Location
The most represented age group for complaints in the tourism sector is 25 to 34 years old, followed by adults between 35 and 44 years old. The majority of complaints directed at the tourism sector come from Lisbon (33.53%), with Porto accounting for 16.79%.
Regulatory Concerns
Misinformation and apathy from regulators are a concern for Pedro Lourenço, who believes that actions to increase consumers' digital literacy are needed to address the issues in the tourism sector. Lourenço, the founder of Portal da Queixa, argues that the sector's reputation has been jeopardized by the lack of customer support, disorganization, and inability to resolve issues.
Common Complaints
The Complaints Portal reports issues with tour operators, including undue charges, communication failures, and security/potential fraud issues. Company misconduct accounts for 7.37% of complaints in the tourism sector, while flight and reservation cancellations/delays account for 6.38%. Unfair charges are the main reason for consumer complaints directed at the Tourism sector, accounting for 57.24% of complaints.
In summary, the increased consumer complaints in the tourism sector reflect a blend of evolving fraudulent activities targeting popular segments like vacation rentals, economic pressures steering more conservative and critical consumer behavior, and rising frustrations with service quality in hotels and air travel amid peak demand periods.
- The rise in vacation rental scams and timeshare resale scams, often targeting the travel sector, has contributed to the growth in consumer complaints, as economically cautious consumers fall victim to deception in the booming global travel market.
- Consumers' dissatisfaction with their travel lifestyle extends beyond economic concerns, as common complaints about more than just unfair charges include issues with tour operators, annoying airport experiences, and disorganization in the tourism sector.
