Continental Travel Singapore’s licence suspended over alleged SRV cashback scheme

SINGAPORE – Community tour agency Continental Vacation Singapore will have its vacation agent licence suspended by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) over suspected involvement in abusing the SingapoRediscovers Voucher (SRV) scheme, the board said on Tuesday (July 19).

The suspension can take influence on that working day and will past five months.

Continental Vacation Singapore allegedly engaged in cashback arrangements by partly refunding, in hard cash, the worth of the SRV bookings built by some members of the public.

STB had previously issued a See of Intent to suspend Continental Journey Singapore’s licence in October 2021, from which the company had appealed. It had also been suspended from the SRV scheme then.

The law enforcement also arrested three people linked to the company for alleged involvement in a collection of suspected fraudulent SRV redemptions in September previous year.

Investigations are ongoing.

The $320 million SRV campaign was launched in July 2020 to travel community expending on Singapore’s inns, points of interest and tours as the tourism sector was battered by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Less than the plan, each individual Singaporean aged 18 and earlier mentioned was offered $100 value of credits to expend.

Nonetheless, SRVs ended up meant for personalized use only, and reselling or exchanging them for money was not permitted.

In a push release on Tuesday, STB mentioned: “(We get) a significant watch of errant travel brokers and will not wait to take required motion to shield the status of Singapore’s vacation market, such as referring situations to the police.”