CATO proposes “comprehensive consumer-funded insolvency protection scheme”.
The Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO) has today released an industry discussion paper proposing major reforms to the way the Australian travel operates.
CATO Chairman Dennis Bunnik told Travel Daily the organisation hoped to use the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity to “break down some of the industry’s silos and find a way to come out stronger”.
Two key changes are proposed. Firstly CATO suggests broadening the scope of ATAS to offer separate versions for travel agents, wholesalers & tour operators and cruise companies. ATAS would become the Australian Travel Accreditation Scheme, and while administered by AFTA it would be overseen by an independent board comprising AFTA, CLIA and CATO with each association signing off on the accreditation criteria for their respective sectors.
The second initiative would see the establishment of a comprehensive consumer-funded insolvency protection scheme. This would be compulsory for all international leisure bookings but only available through ATAS accredited entities.
Bunnik stressed that the proposals were only a draft for discussion in the hope that they will stimulate debate.
“Our industry is in the biggest crisis it has ever faced. Now is the time to come together and reassess everything to see if there’s a way for our industry to come out better than we went in,” he said.
The full paper is now available online by CLICKING HERE.
Bunnik will discuss the proposals today in an exclusive Travel Daily interview in partnership with The Travel Industry Hub. The Zoom session will take place from 1pm AEST this afternoon, with registrations now open at https://tinyurl.com/y2fqs333.
More information on the plan in today’s issue of Travel Daily.