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Trade bodies co-operate on WTM agents’ programme
Wednesday, 03 Sep, 2009
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Five trade bodies are to help develop a programme for travel agents at this year’s World Travel Market.
ABTA, the Institute for Travel and Tourism, PATA, the Caribbean Tourism Organisation and the Association of ATOL Companies are to help the show organisers.
The CTO, with the support of Caribbean member countries and private sector partners attending WTM in November, is to host agents on the Thursday of the event.
They will learn about the region’s latest developments, before experiencing a traditional Caribbean lunch.Agents will receive a Certificate of Participation and goody bag after finishing a training session.
PATA is to recreate a Voyage of Discovery, which it has hosted at previous WTMs. Agents can win prizes by answering online questions. The answers will only be available at certain WTM exhibitor stands.
Agents start by signing up online at www.pataacademy.com. They find their way home by answering a series of questions from various sources, including national tourist offices.
Answers are available to respective stand holders where agents can seek advice and insight from the on-stand consultants. The ‘intrepid traveller’ agents then complete an answer log book online and submit giving them the change to win prizes.
Agents can earn Accredited Travel Professional (ATP) points for attending WTM and its conference and seminar sessions.
ATP is the industry’s professional development programme run by ABTA in association with ITT and sector skills council People 1st. Agents earn two points for attending WTM and a further one point for every conference and seminar session they attend.
Agents can gain up to six additional ATP points by attending ITT’s Travel Agents’ Day programme, which is made up of three sessions:
- Maximising Earnings – Two ATP Points
- Dealing with Customers – Two ATP Points
- Selling During a Recession (organised in association with Training For Travel) – Two ATP Points
The ITT and WTM have embarked on a closer working relationship which started with WTM being a headline sponsor of the 2009 ITT Conference.
The AAC is hosting a session entitled ‘Is this the end of consumer protection as know it?’, which sees legal advisor Alan Bowen and chairman David Mortimer looking at the future of consumer protection in the travel industry.
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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