There are always people who, faced with desperate times, will make a poor choice: a choice to exploit the situation. World wars inspired profiteers, who used national crises to increase their bottom lines. The morning of the 9/11 attacks a few New York hotels briefly – until a public outcry forced them to retreat – attempted to cash in on stranded travelers by doubling their rack rates.

More recently we had the example of a smirking Martin Shkreli, a hedge-fund manager/pharmaceutical CEO who was described as “the most hated man in America”. Shkreli became the poster boy for corporate greed when overnight he raised the price of one life-saving drug from $1.50 to $30 a pill and another from $13.50 to $750. He raised the prices just because he could.

Now the opportunists are targeting travel. A US-based travel aggregator has, among their many identities, launched a type of travel safety seal. It looks official and is meant to suggest the organization, supplier or provider adheres to high standards in terms of hygiene and safe travel.

The problem is the seal is meaningless. The company’s website lists multiple levels of compliance. One “can never be applied for”. Another says, “holders in this category not only demonstrated a commitment to safer tourism by self-assessment but allowed a (company expert) to independently research, consult, and evaluate.”

On the next page of the company website we learn “holders have pledged to follow health and relevant guidelines based on self-assessment.” The company says it checks such guidelines, but is vague on what that check is and means.

Another step in earning their seal is based on “your commitment and our independent investigation”. Then their sites goes on to explain how to apply for their seal (in contradiction to where they say it cannot be applied for) and the benefits of it. While there is no charge for the seal, there are charges for the interviews and evaluation ranging from $50, $250, $500 and $1,000 (depending on supplier).

With people anxious to have the freedom to travel return, but cautious about boarding flights, ships and mixing in large crowds, this type of action seems a disservice to individual travelers and industry. It seems a questionable promise of new safety and hygiene standards.

While recognized groups work to implement national and international standards, private profit-driven schemes like this seem to undermine those efforts to restore trust in travel.

As sellers and travel communicators, we have to question the validity of seals, ratings, stars and other point systems to ensure the safety of our clients and brand value.

Part of rebuilding travel and tourism will require truth in travel. We don’t get that when just anyone can print off an official-looking sticker or document.