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NEWS
ASATA plans innovation summit
THE ASSOCIATION of Southern African
Travel Agents has cancelled its annual member
conference in favour of an innovation summit.
The event will now be held in the second half
of the year, most likely September, in Johannesburg.
The member conference was originally
scheduled to coincide with World Travel Market Africa in Cape Town this month.
Topics included in the innovation summit
will focus on changes in distribution and the
sourcing of content.
Chief Executive Officer Otto de Vries commented: “We are hoping to share a bit of an
idea about where the world is going. We are
living in the golden age of travel. Never before
have so many people chosen to travel and that
number is growing.”
Research for ASATA’s first
Travel Index market study
was concluded in March,
which will determine the size
and state of South Africa’s
travel sector. Results are
still expected. Retailers have
for years called for reliable
data showing the size and
potential of the market and
the number of corporate and
leisure trips taken annually.
IATA agencies worldwide
affected by PCI DSS
compliance
TRAVEL agencies ticketing through BSP, must be able to prove
PCI DSS compliance or risk having their customer card payment method suspended.
The International Air Transport Association has provided
agencies with a PCI DSS wizard to assist with step-by-step
instructions. Travelport and Forgenix also have self-assessment
tools available.
ASATA said there were approximately 60,000 IATA agencies
worldwide which are subject to the new rules.
At a recent regional meeting in the Western Cape, ASATA
Chief Executive Officer Otto de Vries commented: “I think
IATA wants to see us all working towards compliance. Don’t
drop the ball… [and] don’t send emails with credit card details.
It is not only PCI DSS but POPI (the Protection of Personal
Information Act) that is going to be expected of you by law.”
Travel agents will have less than one year to comply with POPI
requirements once that Act has been signed.
Eurowings
won’t be
back
EUROWINGS’ Cape
Town – Cologne service
will be suspended in
October, at the end of
the European summer
season.
One weekly flight to
and from Cape Town
was introduced for the
first time in October last
year.
Eurowings also
currently operates into
Namibia.
Airlink suspends
PTA – CPT
AIRLINK will keep its Pretoria – Cape Town route, to be
suspended on May 8, under
review.
The airline blamed operational constraints and the
poor state of the economy for
the suspension and said losses
were compounded by cutbacks in government travel.
WTM Africa
adds investors’
forum
WTM Africa introduced a
Tourism Investors’ Forum
this month in Cape Town, to
explore growth opportunities
for tourism.
10 Travel Industry Review | April/May 2018
E Preferred Hotels & Resorts CEO Lindsey Ueberroth and
Executive Vice President Saurabh Rai visited the Boschendal Farm Estate near Cape Town, one of its local properties,
during a nine-city tour to mark the group’s 50-year anniversary. There is a year-long campaign to mark the anniversary
and expand the group’s profile in the South African travel
trade. Preferred is to add more properties in Africa. Johannesburg is a priority market.
ASATA to relaunch
Young Professionals
THE ASSOCIATION of Southern African Travel Agents plans
to revive its Young Professionals in Travel Programme before
the end of the year. It will focus on ongoing skills development
and target Travel Management Company employees under the
age of 35.
Networking events will keep young industry associates “excited about a future in the travel industry”, said Monique Diez,
who will be running the programme for ASATA.
“The key focuses will be transformation and personal growth,
which also supports ASATA’s training strategy. Transformation
in middle to senior management is vital and members will gain
value…”
ASATA is also in the process of registering its first qualified
Travel Practitioners, part of the ASATA Professional Programme, which is a broader campaign to promote professionalism and continuous skills development.
A Travel Professional (TProf) designation will be open for
registration in due course. ASATA said it would work with
members to develop a supporting curriculum for a third designation, Certified Travel Professional (Cert. TProf), which will
also include an assessment.