My honest Maldives experience: Priority Escapes seemed above board… until they weren't

News24 Life deputy editor Kaunda Selisho shares her experience travelling to the Maldives on a media trip sponsored by Priority Escapes. The company was no longer able to meet its financial obligations and in August 2023, informed clients that it was unable to make good on upcoming trips. Priority Escapes founder Francois Swart is due back in court this month. 

If you follow news in the travel arena, it may seem like scams are on the rise when a handful of people resort to different means to recoup their lost or stolen monies and warn others to help them avoid the same fate.

In early January, South African influencer and friend to the country's hottest baddies, Bobby Blanco (real name Bob Sithole), temporarily went against the grain of maintaining an immaculately curated Instagram feed to tell his followers that he had been scammed.