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Username: ielbury
Date/Time: Fri, October 20, 2000 at 1:20 AM GMT
Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer V5.5 using Windows NT 5.0
Score: 5
Subject: The real reason behind these protests

Message:
 

 
Having actually read IATA's proposal and as both a frequent traveler and user of the internet I think it's a great and long overdue idea.

It seems to me the reason behind the screams of protest being launched by Travel Agents against this proposal is not IATA but their fear of losing business. The item below which was posted by Lorenza Jachia on the .geo site shows the threat the internet has to the livelihood of these agencies and possibly the hidden agenda behind their protest. Certainly I would be more likely to buy travel services directly over the internet if I had confidence in knowing who I was dealing with especially in a foreign location.

I think Travel Agents would far better serve their clients and the Travel Industry as a whole by supporting a proposal which brings order and consumer confidence for the purchase of travel over the net.  That confidence based on the fact that .travel holders will be required to abide by a set of rules determined by consumers and the travel industry as outlined in the IATA proposal.

As a buyer of travel services I really wonder why these agents are so against supporting and abiding by a "code of conduct"  which would be agreed and set by us consumers and the travel industry as a whole; and where the airlines (if this really is their concern) would have a minority voice. Is it the fear of not knowing how to find new ways of conducting business and adding value to a more empowered and self sufficient consumer?


A frequent traveler



------------------------------------------
.Geo Quote:

"My name is Lorenza Jachia from the Electronic Commerce Section of UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) Secretariat.
The following is based on my personal opinion and does not represent the views of the UNCTAD secretariat or its Member States on the issue.

In the context of the tourism industry, the implementation of the .geo proposal would allow Internet users to access websites of tourism service providers directly, without a need for search engines or travel agents, be they brick and mortar or virtual. This would allow a more direct link between the final consumer and the hotel or tour operator in the destination country.

In turn, this would promote a more equitable distribution of the gains from trade from tourism, which now works disproportionately in favour of intermediaries. In a development perspective, if service providers in developing countries are able to retain a a higher proportion of revenue, local communities will be able to work towards better management of destinations, from an environmental, cultural, and social point of view."

 


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