AFTA UPDATE

From Dean Long, CEO

TODAY, we open the nominations for NTIA across our new categories. The majority of the awards will be judged, in accordance with the new streamlined assessment process.

In creating these new categories, we have focused on maintaining the value of the awards by ensuring our assessment criteria is fair and rigorous.

Importantly, this new process will reduce the time required by travel businesses to apply, and ensures we have a submission process that everyone can engage with.

We are also really excited to introduce video submissions to the application process for the 2022 NTIAs.

Over the last 24 months, we have had to change the way we do and think about our businesses.

In introducing this, we are making sure we allow for creative approaches to showcase what they have achieved.

We want to encourage creative thinking when responding to the questions for each category and where possible, include team members and suppliers.

We will also be maintaining public voting as part of the assessment for a number of business and supplier categories.

Every judged category will be assessed by a university level marker and an industry judging panel.

While we have refreshed the criteria and ways to nominate, only those that demonstrate the commitment to the highest of standards will be recognised.

Finally, this week we have seen another sensible decision from the Federal Government to remove the dreaded Digital Passenger Declaration.

It is difficult to find many people to speak positively about this program, but it was an important step in getting borders open.

It was also another stride in removing paper forms from the travellers’ transit experience, which must remain a priority.

It is essential that industry and state and Federal governments continue to innovate our traveller pathway to make international travel by Australians and visitors easier.