AFTA workshops begin as reform progresses

AFTA workshops begin as reform progresses
By admin


The Australian Federation of Travel Agents held the first of its transitional workshops in Canberra today as the reform of travel agent licensing enters its next stage.

Around 500 agents have signed up for the workshops which take place in the Gold Coast tomorrow and Adelaide on Wednesday before moving to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne next week. They conclude in Darwin and Perth the following week.

A Webinar will be held on December 10 for retailers unable to attend in person.

Indicative pricing for membership of the AFTA Travel Accreditation Scheme will be among the subjects covered during the workshop. Seven categories of membership have been created based on Total Transactional Value.

Accreditation general manager, Gary O’Riordan, told Travel Today from Canberra this morning that membership fees will start from just under $500 for retailers with a turnover of under $1 million.

He said it was a “significant saving” on the soon-to-be scrapped Travel Compensation Fund and travel agent licensing structure.

The cheapest annual cost under the old system was around $4000, O’Riordan said.

Accreditation fees for companies with multi-million dollar TTVs will be subject to negotiation, he added.

O'Riordan said the costs would relate to each business, not branch locations.

The workshops will also examine the practical consequences of winding up the TCF, discuss the key principals of Australian Consumer Law and set out the final accreditation scheme criteria and what will be required by way of audit and financial reporting.

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