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WTAAA was incorporated in 2008 as an international non-profit trade association in Brussels, Belgium and maintains an “articles of association” governed by Belgian law.
The WTAAA board of directors meets twice annually to action and discuss issues of significance to the global agency market. In 2018, the board set a new direction for the alliance with the formation of four key working committees tasked with seeking outcomes and solutions for the benefit of all member associations around the world:
As travel agency owners across the globe meet the challenges faced by 1.4 billion global travellers in 2018 – up from 435 million in 1990¹ – it is critical that travel agency voices are heard. The WTAAA is well placed to provide support, guide and advocate for the travel agency community to ensure the global voice of the travel agent/travel advisor is heard.
1. Air Committee– to tackle challenges faced by travel agencies in the air sector, developing airline and related trade association relationships and advocating for change where needed. Initiative examples include: IATA BSPs, NDC and One Order, etc.
2. Land & Sea Committee – to address the ever-changing landscape of travel suppliers such as hotels, car rental, cruise lines, travel insurance, rail, etc. Impactful issues include “book direct” marketing campaigns, hotel resort fees, Non-Commissionable Fares (NCFs), etc.
3. Technology Committee – to interface with technology providers including Global Distribution Systems (GDSs) and additional technologists within the travel landscape, ensuring solutions address the needs of the travel agency community worldwide.
4. WTAAA Strategy/Opportunity Committee – to devise the strategic direction of the WTAAA, addressing membership growth, strategic relationships and other matters that may provide future opportunities for the WTAAA in which to engage in support of the travel agency community globally.
¹Source: United Nations World Tourism Organization – World Tourism Barometer (2019)