Don’t delay with travel agency reforms, urges MTA boss
With Australian ministers meeting this week to determine the future structure of the travel industry, MTA – Mobile Travel Agents’ managing director, Roy Merricks has stated it is vital that nothing comes along at this late juncture to stall what represents a critically required process.
His comment follows the comments by House of Travel Australia chairman, Barry Mayo which Merricks described as "curious" given Mayo’s suggestions that the Travel Industry Transition Plan (TITP) contained incorrect assumptions and that AFTA had offered no demonstration of what a new structure will consist of or look like.
"A consultation period was provided and that opportunity has now passed so I find it curious that Mr Mayo would comment at this late stage," Merricks said.
"To our mind, the AFTA submission has been very well prepared and is representative of the views of the vast majority of members.
"After delays to the decision making process in December 2010 and again in July, it’s vital for the industry to have certainty.
"The last thing needed right now are further delays to the decision making process."
Merricks went on to say that by offering no credible alternative to the current outdated system and actually bringing into question the considerable work done to date by AFTA, fundamentally Mayo appeared to have questioned the need for any change at all.
"In contrast to his views, I think it’s safe to say reform is considered by the industry generally as being essential to both bringing our industry into the 21st century and its remaining competitive moving forward," he said.
"We do see eye to eye with Mr Mayo on one point however – when he says travel agents are often left out of pocket through no fault of their own when a supplier fails and credit card payments are reversed."
Merricks said that hopefully, with a positive determination later this week, commercial planning regarding alternate provisions for insolvency protection for consumers and travel agents alike could begin in earnest.
Ian Jarrett
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