More than S$15,000 worth of luxury goods and cash were stolen from five tourists who left their belongings aboard a tour bus in Milan, Italy, Shin Min Daily News reported.
The tourists were on an 11-day bus tour organised by Singapore-based travel agency EU Holidays from Dec. 13 to 23, 2024.
They were part of a 33-person group that travelled across France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy.
The tour cost S$4,238 per person.
Went out for dinner
On the last night of their tour in Milan, Italy, at about 9pm, Huang, 38, and her mother left their suitcase aboard the tour bus and went out for a quick dinner.
They told Shin Min that they stowed their suitcase in the overhead compartment of the tour bus.
When they came back to the bus at 9:45pm, they found that their suitcase had been stolen.
Huang then shouted, “My bag is missing!”, prompting a few other tourists who had returned to the bus to discover that their belongings were also missing.
Huang and her mother lost a Yves Saint Laurent designer handbag that cost S$2,734.
Another passenger, Li, 52, reported losing over S$9,000 worth of goods, including a Fendi handbag, a Tag Heuer watch, a Louis Vuitton wallet, €350 (S$490) in cash, earphones, a power bank, and other personal items.
Passengers allege suspicious circumstances
After the tourists reported the matter, the travel agency reportedly told them no immediate action could be taken.
Instead, the agency apparently advised the tourists to head back to the hotel and rest, before making a police report the following morning.
Some of the tourists alleged that the circumstances under which their belongings were stolen were suspicious.
Firstly, Huang said there were no signs of forced entry on the bus doors or windows.
Secondly, Huang and Li also claimed that their tour group leader assured the tourists that the bus was the “safest place” to store their belongings on the first day of the tour, and had even suggested to them to leave their things aboard.
Thirdly, Huang added that upon arriving in Milan, the bus driver said the bus doors were faulty, which she felt was “too coincidental”.
Lastly, Huang claimed that the bus driver gave differing accounts of what happened leading to the theft: “At first, he claimed he never left the bus. However, when we filed the police report the next day, he admitted to stepping away briefly.”
EU Holidays responds
According to Shin Min, EU Holidays said the tour leader never assured the participants that the bus was the “safest place” to store their belongings.
EU Holidays claimed that the agency’s pre-departure briefings reminded travellers that personal belongings are their responsibility.
The agency added that they are still “doing their best to assist customers with claims to minimise their losses”.
Travel agency denies responsibility
Huang and Li told Shin Min that they reached out to EU Holidays, but were told the travel agency would not take responsibility.
Huang and Li, however, feel that since the theft occurred on a bus arranged by the agency, they have an obligation to address the issue.
Huang said her initial insurance claim was rejected, but she is seeking to appeal.
Both Huang and Li want to get compensation for their losses, and even plan on filing a claim with the Small Claims Tribunals.
Li reportedly warned other tourists to be cautious of tour groups, noting that they do not guarantee safety:
“If we hadn’t trusted the tour leader’s advice, I would have kept my valuables with me. If we were robbed on the street, I could accept that, but this happened because we followed instructions, thinking it was safe.”
Top photo from Shin Min Daily News
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