World Association of Travel Agencies (WATA). After world war I, many tourist organizations was established to streamline the growth and development of tourist activities. One of them is the World Association of Travel Agencies (WATA), which was established to protect the interest of Travel Agencies worldwide and to provide them, means for collaboration with airlines, hotels, cruises, transport organizations, and other travel vendors. It was incorporated in 1949 at Geneva to achieve the travel and tourism objectives. WATA headquarter is situated in Geneva, Switzerland.
On 5 May 1949, a group of 8 travel agents from France, Italy, Belgium, and Switzerland met in Geneva, Switzerland, and discuss travel and tourism growth and development at national as well as international level. After that, they reach on a final decision and create the World Association of Travel Agencies (WATA), an international body that is responsible to improve, develop, and organization of international tourism.
Objectives of WATA
The World Association of Travel Agents plays a significant role in the promotion of travel trade. It was incorporated in 1937 to achieve important objectives. Some important objectives of WATA are following as:
- To promote travel trade.
- To promote the interests of members.
- To promote the common platform for sharing problems.
- To provide legal counseling/service.
- To provide travel information.
- HR development.
- To organize tourism seminars on at national, regional, and international scale.
- To develop tourism terms.
- To regulate and control the travel trade organization.
- To public statistics, surveys, studies, market research.
- To preserve, protect the utilize cultural tourism resources and those unique to the country’s heritage.
- To formulate ethics and other professional guidelines.
Membership of WATA
World Association of Travel Agencies (WATA) is an international travel organization that is responsible to promote and develop a unique travel and tourism business environment.
WATA is an international travel organization so any organization/firm and company can take the membership of WATA.
WATA has two types of membership. These are followed as:
- Full Membership
- Exclusive Membership
Full and Exclusive membership is open for the inbound travel agencies and tour operators– preferably privately owned, middle size, adhering to the highest professional ethics and enjoying a prominent position in their local community.
These members are the local travel experts who have complete knowledge of the place, the infrastructure – excellent relations with local suppliers.
Roles and Functions of WATA
The World Association of Travel Agencies (WATA) is an international organization that is responsible for the development and promotion of travel and tourism trade. It is a worldwide organization and its members are dedicated to the enhancement of the professionalism and profitability of members agents through mutual cooperation and global networking.
Some most important role and functions of the World Association of Travel Agencies (WATA) follow as:
- Promotion of ethics standards.
- Development and promotion of tourism.
- Formulate the guidelines to promote the travel sector.
- Conduct worldwide marketing research.
- Encourage the development of a profession at the mgt approach in the travel sector.
- Negotiate with other international organizations.
- Financial help to travel agencies and other travel and tourism organizations.
- Technical help to travel sector vendors.
- Organize seminars/conferences.
Provide updated information. - Help the government to formulate policies.
- GDS
- International cooperation (IATA, IHA, IUR).
- Educations and training for members.
- Projects for the benefit of members.