AFTA Board backs Constitution
From Dean Long, CEO
THE Board of the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) has unanimously backed a new Constitution for the organisation, which will now be circulated for member approval at the organisation’s upcoming Annual General Meeting next month.
The document was a key agenda item at yesterday’s AFTA Board meeting, which also included the tabling of annual reports from Chairman Tom Manwaring and CEO Dean Long.
Manwaring highlighted the extensive discussions undertaken over the last 12 months to help drive the development of AFTA, including seeking sectorwide input on the Constitution to reflect the Federation’s diverse membership base including corporate agents, tour operators, advisors, wholesalers, consolidators, retail travel agents and online travel agents.
“There have been multiple workshops and consultations to ensure a more inclusive association for the future.”
Long’s report noted 2022/23 had seen a robust return to growth for the industry, while navigating the challenges around the reopening of travel.
He highlighted key activities during the year including the triumphant return of the National Travel Industry Awards, the ATAS review which acknowledged the nuances between different participants such as travel agents, tour operators & wholesalers, and ongoing skills reforms to support the industry workforce.
There was also plenty of advocacy, including recognition of ATAS as a core requirement for the Whole of Australian Government travel management tender, and ACCC submissions relating to several airlines which “sought clarification on the stated benefits to the travelling public and our members”.
The AFTA AGM will take place on 21 Jun - more on page five.
TODAY, on behalf of the AFTA Board of Directors, we will release a new AFTA Constitution for approval by the members.
Critically, this Constitution is being put forward with the unanimous support of the AFTA Board.
Members are being asked to vote YES on this new Constitution at our AGM on 21 Jun 2023.
As I mentioned in this column when we commenced the consultation on the draft constitution, the Board undertook a detailed review of what the sector needs in its peak body.
The focus was ensuring we had heeded the lessons of COVID, and had a Constitution that embraced all elements of the sector.
The feedback from the consultation process was extremely positive, with universal agreement that it was a significantly positive step forward, and struck the right balance for all members.
We will now be briefing AFTA members on this next critical phase in our 65-year history.
We also released our 2023 Annual Report which provides insights into the activities of AFTA over the last 12 months.
It has been an incredibly successful year as we worked to ensure ATAS was fit for purpose for agents, tour operators and wholesalers.
We kept our advocacy program focused on delivering meaningful outcomes for our members and their clients.
For the first time in over 10 years, ‘ travel consultants’ was added back onto the Federal skills list, a critical first step to increasing the number of people who can work in our sector.
We also held two high-impact events - NTIA and the inaugural Women in Travel Summit, which allowed AFTA to engage deeply with our members across all industry segments.
As the CEO of AFTA, I am proud of our accomplishments and the role AFTA plays in supporting our members and the sector.
This year, we have undertaken reform projects to renew our focus to foster our sectors’ growth through working together, and to continue positioning AFTA as the leading force for the travel sector.