ΔΙΕΘΝΗΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΗΛΕΚΤΡΟΝΙΚΗ ΕΦΗΜΕΡΙΔΑ ΠΟΙΚΙΛΗΣ ΥΛΗΣ - ΕΔΡΑ: ΑΘΗΝΑ

Ει βούλει καλώς ακούειν, μάθε καλώς λέγειν, μαθών δε καλώς λέγειν, πειρώ καλώς πράττειν, και ούτω καρπώση το καλώς ακούειν. (Επίκτητος)

(Αν θέλεις να σε επαινούν, μάθε πρώτα να λες καλά λόγια, και αφού μάθεις να λες καλά λόγια, να κάνεις καλές πράξεις, και τότε θα ακούς καλά λόγια για εσένα).

Πέμπτη 27 Μαρτίου 2014

UFTAA Member Association meet in Geneva

THE UFTAA FORUM for Secretaries General and Managers of Associations of Travel Agents was held in Geneva on Monday 24th March 2014. A number of UFTAA member Associations attended the full day Forum which was chaired by UFTAA’s president Joe Borg Olivier.
 
High on the agenda were matters related to the airline industry and IATA.  Yossi Fatael, who chairs UFTAA’s Air Matters Committee, gave a full morning presentation on important issues that are of interest and concern to the Travel Agent. He touched upon various subjects which included: The New Distribution Capability, Financial Criteria, Commission and Social Media in Tourism. The afternoon session started with a presentation by Trenitalia, (with whom UFTAA has a special agreement that benefits its members), EXPO 2015, Hotels, Cruises and the IATA-UFTAA Career Path Programme.


The Forum was joined by Noel Gilmartin, IATA’s Head of Distribution Management, who replied to a number of questions raised by delegates. Later in the afternoon Aleks Popovich, Senior Vice-President Industry Distribution and Financial Services and Javier Gallego, Director FDS Operations joined the meeting. Mr Popovich gave an overview on the NDC and other related matters. He and Mr Gallego answered valid questions put to them by the floor. The meeting was a very interactive one.

UFTAA President said that “The Forum served as a platform, for both IATA and UFTAA, to exchange views and narrow the differences between the two bodies“.  All those present expressed their views that such meetings for the associations served to update, inform and educate association managers with the latest developments on Air Matters and other related subjects applicable to the travel trade and urged UFTAA to organize more such meetings.
 
Mr Popovich thanked UFTAA for giving him the opportunity to expound on the tools used by travel agents and to listen to the problems that the trade is encountering. He was happy to assist and to try and find solutions which will be of mutual benefit.

Mr Borg Olivier expressed his satisfaction that the meeting was well attended and that it has served its purpose. He was thankful to IATA’s executives for finding the time to come and share their experience and advice with the trade. He augured that more meetings will be planned in the future. He concluded by saying that UFTAA’s participation at PAPGJC ,AAF,TAG and other committees is of the essence but  UFTAA has to keep listening to its roots -the Travel Agents, to meet and exchange views on current issues that have to be addressed and eventually solved.