No Commission Recalls: ACTA
In a statement issued following Transport Minister, Marc Garneau’s weekend announcement, ACTA reminds the government that the COVID-19 pandemic caused mass cancellations at an unprecedented rate last spring.
And, the statement continued, based on consumer feedback, ACTA understands the need to provide refunds on COVID-19 affected bookings.
ACTA president, Wendy Paradis said: “We know this is what the majority of Canadian consumers have asked for, and understand from yesterday’s announcement by Minister Garneau that consumer refunds will be a condition of any government aid.”
However, the industry association also made it abundantly clear that on behalf of Canadian travel agencies and travel agents, ACTA remains opposed to any policy by airlines and other suppliers to recall commissions.
Said Paradis: “Travel agencies and travel agents have worked tirelessly on behalf of our mutual customers since last March, when all travel was abruptly halted and thousands of travellers had to find their way home and pursue refunds and compensation.”
She also pointed out that: “Many travel agents have worked throughout the spring and summer trying to mediate these disputes between our mutual customers, and airlines, tour operators and cruise lines.”
Paradis indicated that ACTA is actively lobbying the federal government to include travel agent commissions as part of any aid package given to the travel industry – either by stipulating that the aid must COVER all commissions and that they must not be recalled — or by direct compensation to travel agents and travel agencies.
Travel agencies and travel agents have seen revenue drops of over 90% since March 2020. Travel is one of the hardest hit industries and having experienced close to zero income over the past 8 months, travel agents and agencies no longer have the funds to support a recall of commissions by any travel supplier, as they have already used or earmarked these funds to pay wages, rent and other fixed expenses.
Said Paradis: “We have been asking the government repeatedly to include travel agencies and travel agents in any aid package for the travel industry. We need to make sure the government understands that travel agencies and travel agents are an integral part of the distribution channel for all travel industry suppliers and that decisions to give refunds have a direct impact on these small businesses and independent contractors across Canada.”
Go to www.acta.ca for more.
