Football fans urged to be wary of fraudsters when booking trips to Brazil

With the England squad recently announced and less than a month to go before the 2014 Football World Cup kicks off in Brazil, ABTA is reminding fans looking to book last minute travel arrangements to do so with reputable travel companies that are members of ABTA.

ABTA expects that tens of thousands of England fans will be heading to Brazil for the tournament either to watch the games or simply to soak up the atmosphere.
 
Major sporting events are a popular target for fraudsters because of the typically high value of these trips. With tickets, hotels and air tickets at a premium, last minute bookers looking for bargains are particularly vulnerable to being ripped off.
 
The City of London Police have reported that during 2013 10% of all incidents of holiday booking fraud related to packages in particular trips to major sporting and religious events**.
 
Victoria Bacon ABTA Head of Communications said: “We are expecting tens of thousands of fans to head out to Brazil and have a wonderful time soaking up the World Cup atmosphere and enjoying this vibrant country. Fans heading out last minute should ensure they book with a reputable travel company who can take the hassle out of travelling to Brazil. As well as offering financial protection these companies will be able to advise on things such as vaccinations and passport requirements. It’s also vital that fans take out adequate travel insurance and follow Foreign Office advice regarding health and safety.”
 
Brazil is growing in popularity with UK tourists – and was highlighted by ABTA as a destination to watch in 2014.  ABTA research also found that four out of ten (39%) of people think Brazil is a beautiful destination, one in five (22%) of people consider it a glamorous party destination, and one in ten (10%) of people said it was a ‘must visit’.
 
ABTA has tips for fans heading to Brazil or anyone planning a trip on abta.com.