SINGAPORE - A travel agency has been fined a total of $25,500 after it was found to have been operating without a valid licence for five years.
RTW Air Services was convicted of 17 charges under the Travel Agents Act and had 33 similar charges taken into consideration, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said on Wednesday.
RTW's travel agent licence expired on Dec 31, 2009, but it was found to be operating without one during a check on its premises in April 2014.
The company was prosecuted in court by the STB and it has since applied for and obtained a new licence.
The STB said it "takes a serious view against unlicensed travel agents and will not hesitate to take necessary action against those who contravene the legislation to uphold the reputation of Singapore's tourism sector".
Under the Travel Agents Act, any person found guilty of carrying on the business of a travel agent without a valid travel agent licence faces a maximum fine of $10,000 and imprisonment up to two years.
The STB also advised the public to exercise due diligence when making travel arrangements. For the latest list of licensed travel agents in Singapore, go to the Travel Related Users' System (Trust) website at https://trust.yoursingapore.com.
