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Username: barmar
Date/Time: Thu, October 26, 2000 at 5:49 PM GMT
Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer V5.01 using Windows 98
Score: 5
Subject: IATA - concerns

Message:
 

 
        Before granting the IATA (International Air Transport Association) and parent company IATAN in the USA, application for a new Top Level Domain (TLD) “.travel”, I urge you to take careful consideration when making a decision. 

For years IATA has been a major force promoting the Airline industry.  Taking this into consideration, airlines world-wide will support such an application with no apprehensions. But, will this truly be a benefit to the travel industry as a whole. 

Grave concerns arise out of such a body controlling the “.travel” e-commerce trade. 

I will refer to IATA’s current web-site as of today 10/26/00 at 10:00AM EST. and their current Mission Statement as shown in there corporate page.
 
Mission
“TO REPRESENT AND SERVE THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY”

Next, please refer to their goals statements on the page.   I refer each member of your granting board to read carefully each goal before making their decision.  In each instance, goals represent and promote only one sector of a very large industry, that is  “The Airline Industry”!

reference: http://www.iata.org/missgoal.htm 

With so many sectors in the travel community
i.e.; car, cruise, hotel, incentive, meeting, SPA, resorts, travel agencies, independent, coach transportation, train transportation and many others, giving such a dominate TLD to an intermediary such as IATA  would ultimately serve one industry and that is the airline industry. 

By granting such an application, IATA could dominate and prejudice  the “.travel” TLD name.  Simply, by restricting businesses by category, charging exorbitant fees, classifying different category levels and by defining who they determine is a travel provider.  This would be wrong for one party governing an entire e-commerce travel industry.   Especially when that parties main purpose throughout its tenure has been for the betterment of the airline industry not the betterment of the travel industry, please don’t confuse the two. 

Many in the travel industry have seen by past and current conditions, how a single sector, over controls and over regulates a market place, making their own rules as they go which only benefit one sector.   

Controlling “.travel” would be yet another way for domination by airlines which should be avoided. 

To truly grasp the negative impact granting this approval to IATA, one has to research and study the history of the aviation industry.   An industry that has become a controller not a lobbyist for the betterment of an entire industry.

The mission statement above for IATA speaks loud and clear for the future of  “.travel”, don’t lose sight on the impact this will have if you grant this application!

I strongly urge ICANN not to grant the IATA application.

Cordially,

B. Richcreek 

      
     
     

 


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