AFTA aims to counter widespread misreporting by mainstream media.
The Australian Federation of Travel Agents has widened its campaign against incorrect and inaccurate negative media coverage of travel agent handling of refunds and credits, saying it is “doing all that we can to hold strong on a positive media strategy at this dreadful time of COVID-19”.
The ramp-up comes after a particularly damning report last night on Channel 9’s A Current Affair, which declined any appearance from AFTA to provide a balanced view.
AFTA CEO Jayson Westbury said “we continue to work hard with supportive media, both trade and mainstream, to showcase the fact that travel agents right around Australia are going above and beyond to support clients and non-clients”.
He said AFTA had also been very careful not to “give oxygen to stories or outlets where there is a clear agenda to misrepresent a situation” and had also made several formal Press Council complaints about such approaches.
However to further boost awareness, the escalation of the strategy has seen a newsroom brief titled The Facts on Travel Agents and Refunds sent to every mainstream TV, print and radio newsroom in Australia today.
“All travel agents across Australia should know that AFTA is doing all that we can to hold strong on a positive media strategy…but we are not able to control stories that are released by some media outlets at this time,” Westbury said.
“AFTA will continue to put truth on the table with media at every opportunity and will continue to do this for as long as this COVID-19 pandemic continues,” he added.
The full media briefing document can be viewed by CLICKING HERE.
More in tomorrow’s issue of Travel Daily.