Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Shet Tanavade on Friday called upon the Centre to launch a strong crackdown on fraudulent websites that cheat tourists, particularly those travelling to Goa and other popular tourist destinations across the country.
Raising the matter during Zero Hour in the Upper House, Tanavade said incidents of online scams involving fake hotel and homestay bookings have been increasing. He pointed out that cyber fraudsters often create lookalike websites and duplicate portals of reputed hotels and booking platforms to deceive tourists into making advance payments.
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The MP warned that organised cyber networks continue to operate despite repeated advisories, causing financial losses to visitors and tarnishing India’s reputation as a safe tourism destination. He urged the government to introduce stricter Know Your Customer (KYC) norms, implement real-time monitoring mechanisms, and ensure swift takedown of fake tourism-related websites and platforms.
Emphasising the seriousness of the issue, Tanavade said protecting tourists in the digital space is as important as ensuring their physical safety on the ground, adding that decisive action is needed to curb such scams and restore confidence among travellers.
The intervention highlights growing concerns over cybercrime linked to the tourism sector and the need for coordinated action by central agencies and online platforms.
