INDEPENDENT REGISTRY FOR TRAVEL AGENTS |
| Overview |
|
The National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS)
has commissioned Pannell Kerr Forster Consulting Pte Ltd (PKFC) to be the
independent administrator for the first ever Registry for Travel Agents
in Singapore.
The primary objective of this Registry is to provide a
confidential, reliable and efficient platform for Travel Agents to source
and be sourced for integration and collaboration partners. |
| | |
| Introduction to the Registry |
|
As part of the ICAP programme NATAS is pioneering
the integration of Singapore travel agents into stronger economic groups
in order to facilitate their greater financial strength and to allow for
regional expansion.
The areas that the Registry will focus on are:
a] The matching and integration of players in the Singapore
travel industry in an initiative to facilitate these players to find
new partners to further their business.
b] The matching and integration of those industry players
who are interested to integrate their businesses; in the form of mergers,
acquisitions, divestments, joint ventures, franchising, alliances, partnerships
and collaborations.
c] Allow for the creation of Tourism Economic Groupings
to assist in the regionalization of the Singapore travel industry.
For easy access, the registry will have a hyperlink
from the NATAS home page to an information page. |
| | |
| What the Registry Covers |
|
The registry will cover primarily, the different
categories of traditional travel agents – inbound, outbound, ticketing
and surface transport, internet- based travel companies, niche tours operators,
and hotel reservations agents.
The registry will eventually be expanded to cover
other travel-related companies, partners and collaborators like airlines,
hotels, MICE organizers, travel insurance companies, credit cards operators
and others. We will develop the registry to facilitate matching and consequently
undertake integration on a local basis. It is envisaged that a regional
component will be added to the basic structure in the future. |
| | |
| What the Registry Hopes to Achieve |
|
In addition Tourism Economic Groupings would result
out of this initiative and this would enable such groupings to venture
out with more leverage than is possible than when venturing alone.
The Registry will seek to assist its members to
identify and assess their areas of value add, strategic strengths, and
possible areas in integration, partnering or collaboration.
We will then work towards finding a match, in their
respective areas of interest. The primary focus will be on ensuring that
the cooperation, integration or collaboration should be synergistically
tuned and mutually beneficial to the participants. The Registry will also
be an invaluable resource center for government bodies, local and foreign
trade associations, travel agents’ associations, hoteliers and players
in the travel industry.
The registry will eventually be actively working
together with other similar Registry operating in other countries.
Thereafter, we will be available to further engage
its resources to render the required services and advices that follow after
initial negotiations. |
|
| Features of the Registry |
|
We will compile a detailed listing of all local
travel related companies for incorporation into the registry.
The Registry will be as an information resource
that will be administered off-line by PKFC. In future when NATAS sees the
need for the Registry to be implemented on an online basis to facilitate
24-hour worldwide access for interested parties, PKFC will be available
to offer its professional services.
All supporting information will be stored and backed
up in PKFC’s secure server in Singapore. |
| | |
| Putting the Registry Together |
|
From our interviews with NATAS members, we will identify
the information the Registry, should contain; features, linkages and such
information as may be necessary to include.
Subject to research, a sample of the information
to be incorporated in the Registry would include the following:
a] Number of years of operations in various sectors
b] Number of Staff
c] Affiliation with Agents association
d] Type of reservations/settlements systems used
e] Make up of clientele
f] Corporate Objectives
g] Areas of Business Interest
h] Level of integration desired
i] Source of funding for expansion
j] Ownership Structure
k] Description of Ideal Partners (Similar Trade)
l] Description of Ideal Partners (Differing
Trade)
m] Desired Forms of Integration
n] Desired Forms of Expansion
o] Desired Areas of Restructuring
After obtaining the necessary information from
each NATAS Registry Travel Agent, PKFC will run a series of compatibility
matches in terms of strategic objectives, positioning and operational synergies.
The respective agents will then be notified of their options and further
action remains at the sole discretion of the Agents involved. Also this
registry provides a confidential means of being sourced by external parties
interested in collaborating with the travel industry. |
| | |
| Conclusion |
| This Registry will be a means of fair and equal dissemination
of information, without fear or favour. It is the objective of this registry
that All NATAS Registry Travel Agents will now be availed to a series of
options as margins slim, markets shrink and worldwide consolidation beckons. |
| CLICK HERE to Access
the Independent Registry | |
| | | | |