Canadian Travel Cos. Find Unified Voice In Organization

<B>Canadian Travel Cos. Find Unified Voice In Organization</B>

By Carolyn Green

A new association--the Canadian Corporate Travel Association--comprised of Canada's largest travel management companies has been formed to focus on the specific needs and issues facing corporate travel agencies and their clients.

"Those of us who focus on business travel management didn't feel that we had a singular voice in the industry," said Michael Simeone, chairman of CCTA and president of Mississauga, Ont.-based Global Travel Solutions. "We felt we had some unique needs and our customers had some unique needs that weren't addressed by existing associations, such as the Association of Canadian Travel Agents."

Simeone said the group--which now has 10 member companies, including Rider-BTI Travel, Amex Canada Inc. and Carlson Wagonlit Travel, all based in Toronto--received its charter about 18 months ago and has spent the intervening time getting organized, identifying issues it wants to address and establishing committees to deal with these issues.

He said the group, represented by senior executives from member companies that handle about 60 percent of Canadian business travel, has identified four areas of concern: the rapidly changing technology that affects both agencies and their clients; the changing financial picture as a result of reduced and capped airline commissions and the advent of net fares; the need to attract and train more personnel; and better promotion and marketing of corporate travel agencies so that clients and the public realize they do more than issue airline tickets.

In addition to ongoing concerns, said Simeone, the group will deal with short-term issues, such as the merger between Canadian Airlines and Air Canada (<I>BTN</I>, Jan. 10).

Noting CCTA made presentations to the federal government's Competition Bureau and to federal transport minister David Collenette prior to the merger, Simeone said a key concern to the association is the prospect of higher airfares and a reduction in service, either by cutting routes or frequency in an environment in which one major airline dominates.

With the merger approved, and because association members have a good relationship with Air Canada and represent a hefty chunk of the airline's business, Simeone said, "it's now our job to make our views known when we feel that things aren't going the way they should, or there are particular situations that may not be appropriate. But it's our job to say so in a constructive way."

While technology and marketing are areas the association will focus on, said Simeone, the most important issues that will be immediately addressed are financing or economic issues, and the training and education of employees.

"The economics is critical, probably more so because of the air monopoly," he said. "But the second is professional development and resourcing of the industry so that as our business grows, we will have quality people.