What travel agencies and advisors need to know if using social media
With consumers increasingly turning to social media to search for travel information, it’s not surprising that travel agencies and advisors are also solidifying their social media presence.
Whether you are already active on social media, or considering if it’s right for your business, there are three key pieces of information that must be included in the bio/about section of your profile (this information does not need to be included in each individual post, story, reel, etc.):
1. Business name, as registered with TICO 2. Business address 3. TICO registration number
Optional
4. If including a phone number, it must be the agency’s phone number.
If you operate under a host agency, the business address and TICO registration number must be that of the host agency.
As with all other forms of advertising, if a price is being displayed, it must be an all-in price and include conditions that affect the price. A description of the services must either be included or one click away on a landing page.
Posts, reels, stories or other content, even if brief, must avoid misleading or deceptive content. This includes ensuring that any images or video content accurately represent the travel services being described or promoted.
Branding on social media
TICO has seen an increase in individual travel advisors branding themselves on social media. For example, Mary is a travel advisor for the London Travel Company. To promote her services, Mary creates an Instagram account called Mary’s Marvelous Vacations.
For this account to comply with the regulations, the Instagram profile for Mary’s Marvelous Vacations must include:
- The business name – London Travel Company
- The business address for the London Travel Company
- The TICO registration number for the London Travel Company
- If including a phone number, it must be for the London Travel Company (additional contact details can be provided in addition to the main agency line)
Resources to help with social media advertising compliance
These requirements ensure that consumers receive transparent and accurate information, which allows the consumer to verify the information on TICO’s agency search feature.
Additionally, travel advisors should be mindful of whether there are any policies within their agency about creating social media accounts.
If a travel advisor wants to fully brand themselves, there would be a requirement to set-up a trade name under the registered travel agency. For more information, click here.