Travel consultants to be accredited as professionals

Date: 22 February 2013

Travel consultants to be accredited as professionals

Lee Pei Qi, reporting from NATAS Travel 2013

THE NATIONAL Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS) will officially launch an accreditation programme for Singapore agency professionals on March 14. Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily on the sidelines of the NATAS Travel 2013 which opened today, NATAS CEO Robert Khoo said the programme recognised one’s ability to be a travel consultant.

In comparison, the existing CaseTrust-NATAS Joint Accreditation Scheme, run by the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) and NATAS, acknowledges the company rather than its workers.

Under the new accreditation scheme, candidates must attend training modules and sit a test in order to be certified. Said Khoo: "This programme will give recognition to those who put in the effort to improve their service and will also make them proud of themselves."

Travel consultants TTG Asia e-Daily spoke to said the new programme would help improve the overall quality of the industry.

ASA Holidays' head of marketing communications, Eileen Oh, said: "This will not only benefit consumers, but the company’s brand image will improve as they can announce they have certified, capable staff."

CTC Travel’s senior vice-president of marketing & public relations, Alicia Seah, said CTC Travel aimed for all its 120 staff to be accredited under the programme by early next year. She said: "This can be a badge of honour for our staff and will help differentiate service excellence levels in this competitive industry."

Khoo is hopeful that accreditation will soon be the benchmark for all travel and tourism industry professionals to measure themselves. He aims to eventually get at least 50 per cent of his members’ workforce certified, adding this would be "fantastic”.

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