By Tom Manwaring, Chairman, Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA, previously AFTA)
It’s that time of year where we have just finished the Footy Grand Finals and we start to see our NTIA Finalists announced.
Our 2023 NTIA celebrations are going to truly be the extravaganza Travel deserves and I know the ATIA team is working very hard on creating a memorable event.
Congratulations to everyone who has been nominated and especially to those who have succeeded in becoming Finalists. It’s going to be a cracker of an NTIA celebration in Melbourne!
The handling of customer complaints around air travel and travel more widely has and will continue to be front and centre with the current Senate Select Committee Inquiry into Bilateral Air Services Agreements just one channel for focus.
Our Board remains steadfast in its mission to maintain ATAS as a trusted hallmark of quality for Australian consumers and a resource for ATAS accredited businesses to effectively manage and resolve disputes.
So far this year, we have received a total of 528 complaints. Impressively, 90% of these issues were successfully resolved through constructive dialogue between businesses and customers, often with the support of our Compliance team. The remaining 10% entered mediation, resulting in $132,925 returned to consumers and importantly saved ATAS businesses over 80,000.
We have invested heavily over the last decade to make sure that ATAS is a credible accreditation program that delivers what it promises and is robust enough to withstand scrutiny.
It is publicly reviewed every three years. Chaired by Hank Spier, former CEO of the ACCC, it encompasses an in-depth analysis of the business model, rigorous Australian Consumer Law Compliance testing, assurance of indemnity insurance, workforce qualification requirements, yearly financial assessments, daily director checks, and a robust consumer complaints program. This attention to detail is critical and ATAS businesses can be proud of the credibility achieving accreditation brings.
