Thai, Malaysian travel associations join WTAAA

Friday, 13 Mar, 2026 0

The World Travel Agents Associations Alliance (WTAAA), the global trade group for the travel agency community, added two major Southeast Asian associations to the network.

It welcomed the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) and Thailand’s International Air Ticket Agency Association (ITA).

The expansion strengthens WTAAA’s presence in the Asia-Pacific region.

MATTA, led by Director Dr. Fazil Khan, represents over 2,900 Malaysian member organisations and offers direct engagement with Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC).

ITA represents more than 80% of Thailand’s air ticket sales volume.

“The inclusion of MATTA and ITA comes at a critical moment for the global travel agency community,” said Otto de Vries, Executive Director of WTAAA.

“As the role of the travel professional becomes more complex and strategic, the need for a unified global voice has never been stronger.”

As part of the integration, WTAAA welcomes Kit Sananwathananont and Chutiwut Suwanichkule to the WTAAA Board of Directors.

Sasikan Tepyou will serve as the primary contact person for ITA, enabling seamless collaboration between the Thai market and the global agent community.

“Through these new partnerships, WTAAA continues to strengthen the collective voice of travel professionals worldwide,” de Vries added.

WTAAA is an international non-profit trade association that advocates for issues impacting the global travel agency community.



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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.



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