South Africa is under global scrutiny again – this time ranked by Numbeo as the fifth most dangerous country for travellers concerned about personal security. For those of us working in tourism, it’s a familiar pattern. The reputational challenges around safety are front and centre in our efforts to attract and reassure international visitors. Concerns about crime, infrastructure or health often feel like the stories that steal the spotlight even while so much of our industry delivers exceptional and secure experiences.

However, while these safety concerns tend to dominate headlines and public perceptions, another threat is quietly gaining momentum behind the scenes. It’s not in crowded tourism corridors or breaking news. In many cases, there’s no visible sign something is wrong until systems are down, bookings disappear or confidential customer data is compromised.

Cybercrime, specifically the vulnerability of the travel and tourism sector to cyber threats, is an issue that deserves far greater attention than it typically receives.

South Africa records an astonishing nine malware attacks per second. That figure alone signals the scale of activity in the digital space. But, more specifically, data shows that South African Android users are now among the most targeted in the world regarding banking malware. The reality is that many travel companies, large and small, are increasingly operating in a highly connected, cloud-based environment where systems are efficient but also exposed.

What makes the tourism industry so appealing to cybercriminals is, ironically, the same thing that makes it so efficient and customer-focused: data. Across thousands of transactions, we collect and store an enormous volume of personal information: full names, passport and ID numbers, card and contact details, itineraries and even geolocation data. For a cybercriminal, this isn’t just useful; it’s valuable.

And the methods they use to attempt to access this data are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Consider phishing: still one of the most effective and frequent forms of cyberattack globally. While it might sound familiar, it’s not the version most of us imagine from years ago. The latest phishing campaigns are carefully crafted and highly targeted.

In the case of tourism businesses, particularly hotels and agencies, criminals often begin by identifying staff members responsible for handling reservations. They’ll research names, titles and contact details – frequently using publicly available information. Then, impersonating a guest, they’ll send a seemingly innocuous message with a special request or an attachment framed as a medical certificate or identity document.

The file or link might appear completely routine but, when clicked, it installs a piece of hidden software – an “info stealer” – that extracts browser login credentials. These credentials provide access to booking platforms and customer lists. From there, attackers may impersonate businesses, change reservations or gain access to systems without ever needing to take over the physical computer again. It’s clever and, in many cases, it’s barely noticeable until the damage is done.

What’s important to understand is that the risk here isn’t just about financial loss although that can be significant. The first real cost to the affected business is time. Time spent recovering systems, dealing with customer queries, missing out on new bookings and restoring confidence. And where time goes, reputation often follows. Many of us have spent years building relationships with international partners and earning trusted status in the marketplace. A cyber incident can cast these years into doubt overnight.

At SATIB Insurance Brokers, conversations with clients over the past year focused on questions about IT systems, email compromises and ransomware response modelling. It’s why we work with top industry experts, such as iTOO, to tailor cyber insurance solutions specifically for the tourism sector. For instance, in the case of identity theft, a cyber policy covers not just financial losses but also lost income due to time spent resolving the issue and administrative costs for obtaining affidavits and legal documentation.

This is about building resilience; not creating more things to worry about. Cybersecurity doesn’t need to become a burden but, like any good risk strategy, it needs to be acknowledged and integrated to fit how tourism businesses operate.

We know many small to mid-sized operators in our industry don’t have on-site IT departments or access to dedicated cybersecurity teams. Our role is to connect businesses with the right experts, ensuring that, when something goes wrong, the response is swift and reputational recovery begins without delay.

Despite its lower visibility, cybercrime poses just as significant a threat to the tourism industry as physical crime but, in a world that runs on systems, servers and software, it’s a risk that travels with us – whether we see it or not. It’s time to widen the scope of what we mean when we talk about travel safety.

Protecting people’s data, safeguarding reputations, ensuring our businesses can keep operating even when something goes wrong are also part of what it means to offer a world-class, trusted and secure travel experience.