TAAI’s Joint Bank Guarantee
The Travel Agents Association of India ( TAAI) is set to launch Joint Bank Guarantee ( JBG) scheme for its members with effect from July 1. It will also create a regional forum involving travel trade associations in the SAARC region.
The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) discussed a line-up of topics during its Managing Committee meeting held recently on the sidelines of IITT exhibition in Mumbai. One such topic was Joint Bank Guarantee (JBG) and Sunil Kumar, National President, TAAI, made a presentation on the scheme to ensure that all chairpersons present were informed on the subject and able to de-brief their members.
“We will be rolling out circulars inviting our members to join the JBG scheme by February first week and close the process by March 31, 2016. Those agents who are chosen by the national commit- tee for the scheme will be able to get on board with IATA effective July 1, 2016. They were anyway paid their insurance or guarantee till June 30, 2016.
“So, TAAI’s JBG scheme will be in place from July onwards when the new term starts for the new guarantee cover,” he said. Kumar, however, refused to share any updates on TAAI’s annual convention.
Forum with SAARC trade associations
Kumar said that TAAI is in the process of creating a regional forum involving all the big travel associations, particularly in the SAARC region. He said, “There are so many big travel associations in our neighbouring countries but we have no contact with them – like Travel Agents Association of Sri Lanka ( TAASL), Travel Agents of Bangladesh (TAB), Nepal Association of Travel Agents ( NATA), and Travel Agents Association of Pakistan ( TAAP). Thankfully, our initiative has been successful, we have reached out to them and there have been responses from these associations.
“We were able to work with SATTE to get some of them invited to the show. TAAI is keen to involve other associations in India and create a strong regional forum of travel and tourism associations within SAARC so that we don’t have to stand alone. At the same time we can extend our strength to them as well,” he said.
TAAI’s JBG scheme will be in place from July 1 onwards when the new term starts for the new guarantee cover