ATAC hits new heights

THE biggest year ever for air ticket sales and exceeding many preferred partner targets has seen the Australian Travel Agents Co-operative (ATAC) achieve a record total transaction value (TTV) for the 2017/18 financial year, surpassing all prior periods.

Speaking with Travel Daily at the group’s annual conference in Singapore over the weekend, ATAC Chairman Ken Morgan said the final figures “will be up around the $225m to $230m TTV mark for the last financial year”.

The figure represents a 10% increase on the prior period.

Air consolidation sales increased 40% on the previous year, with the group seeing average override payments rising above $25k.

The group also reported a surge in membership, with ATAC GM Michelle Emerton saying the group “currently is at 115 members and we’ve got another four sitting in the wings in Western Australia.

“We’ve just had one new member from Queensland join with another two to come over to us and we’ve got another one in Victoria,” she said.

Both Morgan and Emerton highlighted transparency and the core financial proposition of ATAC as a key driver for its growing membership.

“We put more money back into our members’ pockets, not take it from them,” Morgan said, adding “what you earn is what you keep”.

With no up front fees, marketing levies and lean managerial overheads, Morgan opined “all you get back from ATAC are cheques eight times a year and our members love that”.

More from ATAC on page four.