AITO Reviews 2

I’m not sure why they exist and what they do. I had a nightmare with Audley Travel and took my complaint about them to AITO, being Audley is a member of theirs. Kept me hanging and then just blocked me!!!!! I suspect with AITO and Audley travel there’s something dodgy and unlawful going on. I will endeavour to get to the bottom of it. Do not use these companies or anyone associated with them in a million years. They are corrupt cowboys.

AITO – The Travel Specialist Association
I am writing this because I am deeply frustrated with AITO’s lack of response and what I believe is a misleading approach to customer reviews.

AITO encourages travellers to share their experiences with member travel agencies. I submitted a detailed, fully documented critical review of London-based Expert Africa in June 2025. Despite sending multiple emails and receiving several “read” receipts (from Lucy Ellis, Amy Waller, Webmaster, Stefan, and Sunny), not a single person has responded to me.

I am genuinely shocked that AITO does not appear willing to publish a well-evidenced critical review, nor to communicate with the customer who submitted it. In my view, withholding critical reports misleads travellers who rely on AITO for transparency and guidance.

AITO states on its website that its members “promote an ethical and sustainable approach to travel.” My experience does not reflect this.
I have had two tours of Botswana planned with Expert Africa. During a five-lodge trip in 2024, I experienced serious safety issues at a Ker & Downey camp. I immediately informed both the camp management and my Expert Africa agent. I left the camp within 24 hours, and submitted a detailed, photo-documented report. All other camps on the trip received excellent feedback from me.

Expert Africa also invites travellers to share honest experiences. However, in my case the response amounted to nothing more than “we will look into this” — for a camp costing USD 2,000 per night. My critical review was never published as I wrote it. This leaves the impression that negative feedback about partner camps is filtered out, giving travellers an incomplete and unreliable picture.

I tried to warn other travellers by posting my experience on AITO’s platform — only to find the same thing happening again. The review was simply not published.

This raises a serious question: how can travellers trust AITO if unfavourable experiences are not shared? Without transparent review practices, customers cannot make informed decisions.

I am extremely disappointed by both organisations and cannot help wondering whether this is standard business practice in the UK — or whether I have simply had extraordinarily bad luck with these two companies.

Below is the review I originally submitted to Expert Africa:

I am a seasoned safari traveller with experience across Africa. In 2017, I booked a five-camp safari tour in Botswana with Expert Africa, which was a success.

In 2023, I returned to Expert Africa to plan a similar five-camp itinerary for 2024. This time, the experience was troubling from the outset.

My initial agent, Tom, misled me. As a solo traveller, I was informed—repeatedly and insistently—that several camps required me to pay for a private vehicle and guide, adding USD 500–700 per day. Based on my background in the travel, airline, and hospitality industries, I immediately questioned the validity of this claim. I requested to know which camps had this policy, as I would have preferred to replace them. Tom refused to disclose the information.

This lack of transparency led me to escalate the matter to the General Manager, Chris. Only then did it become clear that a single staff member at one camp, new to her role, had suggested the private vehicle setup. The claim that multiple camps required this was false.

I changed agents and began working with Ms. Maruska, who was professional, responsive, and informed. The tour was finalized and carried out.

As part of my commitment to help other travellers, I wrote detailed, five-star reports on each camp—except for Kanana, a Ker & Downey-operated camp. My experience there was unacceptable: serious safety lapses, poor service, and unprofessional staff. I left after just 24 hours. For me, safety in a wildlife setting is non-negotiable.

My report was factual, detailed, and forwarded to Ker & Downey. Their response was dismissive, defensive, and failed to acknowledge any wrongdoing—no apology, no ownership.

Worse yet, when I submitted the report to Expert Africa’s platform, it was edited and effectively whitewashed by agent Maruska. She downplayed my experience, portrayed me as unreliable, and undermined the credibility of my report—this despite my other camp reviews being well-received, consistent, and clearly written.

This behaviour is alarming. When a travel company edits guest feedback to protect supplier relationships, traveller trust is broken. They lied, withheld critical information, and tried to discredit me.

My advice: Do not rely solely on Expert Africa for camp reviews or booking advice.