Travel Sellers Address NCFs, Global Issues

The proliferation of noncommissionable fees (NCFs) worldwide was among the issues discussed at the World Travel Agents Associations Alliance (WTAAA) board meeting and its Annual General Assembly in Sydney earlier this month.

In addition to NCFs, other issues on the agenda included the onward relevance of the travel agency community; the resilience of travel agents in the recession in affected markets; the emergence of technologies offered in the distribution of travel; and, the importance of strong relationships in the supplier network.

WTAAA board member David McCaig, who is COO of the Association of Canadian Travel Agents (ACTA), said that the “scourge of NCFs” is the same around the world. This was one issue discussed at the WTAAA General Annual Assembly in Sydney along with the other issues common among agency associations in Australia, New Zealand, the U.S., India and elsewhere.

The WTAA elected officers during the Sydney meeting.

Peter Barlow, president of the Travel Agents Association of New Zealand (TAANZ), was unanimously elected as the new chairman. Ajay Prakash, president of the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), was elected deputy chairman. As the outgoing chairman and founding member of WTAAA, Mike Hatton was unanimously awarded a life membership in recognition of his service to the association.

Barlow said, “WTAAA is the major agency representative body which accounts for almost 70% of global airline sales processed through airline settlement plans. The primary mission of purpose of WTAAA is to ensure the viability of its membership base and to speak from one voice globally. WTAAA facilitates an exchange of information and ideas that is of vital importance to the world’s agency distribution system,” added Barlow.

Other WTAAA board of directors are Chris Russo, chair and president of ASTA; Jayson Westbury, CEO of the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA); Robyn Christie, CEO of ASATA; Michel de Blust, secretary general of ECTAA; Ajay Prakash, secretary general of TAFI; and Peter Barlow, president of TAANZ.

For more information, visit www.WTAAA.org.