The Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB) has demanded necessary steps to be taken in 9 matters to eliminate discipline, equality and discrimination in the travel agency business. This demand was raised in a press conference organized on 'Travel agency business and current context' at a hotel in Nayapaltan of the capital on Saturday (October 19).
The points mentioned by them are – It is important to formulate proper policies for online travel agency (OTA) business management. Making policy of group ticketing by stopping hoarding and syndicate of air tickets. Mandatory mention of agency name, contact phone number, ticket price on the ticket. Blocking foreign and stopping money laundering to prevent foreign website-APIs from illegally doing business in Bangladesh. Ticket sales and money laundering from third countries will be stopped if passengers with tickets sold from a third country (a country other than the country of departure and destination such as India, Dubai, Singapore) stop onboarding at the Bangladesh airport. Take swift action to stop incentivising against collecting hundreds of crores of advance money in the name of selling air tickets. In order to prevent anarchy and loss of public interest in this sector and to reduce discrimination in trade, directions from the relevant ministries that travel agencies cannot display, advertise, sell and market ticket fares at prices lower than the airlines' prices. Arranging unregistered bogus agencies illegally conducting business, air tickets and services. Directing the online travel agency (OTA) for business not to provide login ID to any unlicensed bogus agent company.
Abdus Salam Aref, President of Atab, read the written statement and answered various questions of the journalists at the press conference. He said, 'We have discussed and advised with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism about the mentioned matter. Our statement was accepted by the ministry with sincerity. If these are not implemented, there will be no discipline in this sector. A class of unregistered traders are running away with money from people in the name of giving tickets.'
He said, 'We have repeatedly said why the price of air tickets is high in our country. Blocking tickets in group name. But this is not a group. Basically, they are being done strategically to increase the price of tickets.
He also said, 'Our job is to show the government irregularities and injustice. They will work. We hope that the government will give importance to these 9 issues this year and will take initiative to eliminate the problems that we have identified in this sector.'
Secretary General Afsia Jannat Saleh, Vice President Mostafizur Rahman Hero, Mohammad Ziaur Rahman Khan Newaz, Joint Secretary General Atiqur Rahman and others were also present in the press conference.
