`Proper Training Is Essential For Agents To Become More Productive’

Balbir Mayal, president, TAAI, in an exclusive with Anindita Chattopadhyay, talks about his plans for the association

As you reflect on your one-year as president, what do you enlist as the achievements of TAAI?

In the past year, the most remarkable achievement of our association was starting the insurance scheme. Further, TAAI along with PATA India chapter took a delegation to Pakistan to meet the TAAP members and discuss ways to promote tourism between India and Pakistan. The Pakistan government has agreed to give tourist visas to groups of 15-100. Recently, a MoU was signed in Colombo between TAAI and the Travel Agents Association of Sri Lanka (TAASL) with an intention of working together for optimising the use of each others' expertise, experience and potential for the development of tourism traffic between the countries. Finally, we have successfully forced airlines to roll back their decision to cut commissions from seven to five per cent. It happened because TAAI and TAFI stood the ground.

How do you want to take TAAI forward?

With rapid changes taking place in our business, I feel proper training is essential for agents to become more productive. Hence, we have started training programmes for our members in collaboration with Kuoni Travel Academy. I also want to strengthen the regional bodies and make them more proactive in maintaining relationships with industry partners like airlines, hotels, tour operators and the state governments. I aim to distribute key portfolios equally among members from different regions to achieve the goal.

What are the tasks that are yet to be fulfilled?

The Malaysian High Commission asked the travel agents for a bank guarantee of Rs 3.50 lakh as a safeguard against illegal immigrants and visitors overstaying. This was being tried out as a pilot project first in Chennai, and is to be introduced in other cities. We are still fighting against imposition of bank guarantee.

What are your future plans?

I have proposed to the secretary, tourism to form a task force headed by a senior person from MOT or Planning Commission comprising industry experts and representatives from all trade associations to work for the growth of tourism. TAAI will work in tandem with other industry bodies to push for infrastructure development, visa relaxation, increased air capacity etc.