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By Shirajiv Sirimane

One of the leading Travel organisations, Travel Agents Association of Sri Lanka (TAASL) has strongly protested against the formation of a new body, Sri Lanka Association of Travel and Tourism.(SLATT) A senior member of the TAASL, Rodney J. Koelmeyer, Chairman and Managing Director Superlink Travels said that this new association is illegal and therefore it should not be recognised. "Our Association has briefed the Minister of Tourism Gamini Lokuge, in this regard and he too is now convinced that this new association was not properly constituted."

Koelmeyer said that the members of the TAASL knew about the formation of this travel arm only at short notice and some members had not even got a copy of the constitution of this new body.

"The irony of this is that the present President of our Association, Chandrasiri Wickramasinghe himself is actively involved in the formation of the new Association. This is a conflict of interest." He said that if the government is to recognise this body the TAASL will have no other option other than to take legal action. He said that the new association is also suggesting a heavy annual membership fee going up to Rs. 60,000, while the member bodies are now paying only Rs. 7,500. "Some clauses embodied in the formation of the new association were mainly to cover their interests of the inbound Agents and not outbound."

Managing Director, Travel World (PVT) Ltd, M. S. L. Perera, another member of TAASL said that their body was formed nearly 30 years ago and today it has the membership of 232 and has assets amounting to Rs. 4 million.

He said that the SLATT had even gone to the extent of incorporating their body under Section 21 of the Company Act. "They have appointed Chandra Wickramasinghe, K. G. Nirmala Peries, Trevor Rajaratnam, Udaya Nanayakkaa, Vasantha Leelananda, Shiromal Cooray and G. Marcel Perera as directors." He said it was after the incorporation of the SLAAT, that a special general meeting was called by the executive committee of the TAASL.

"However this special general meeting had to concluded abruptly after the members called for details on the formation of the SLAAT without informing the membership."

At this meeting the membership had requested the President of the TAASL, Wickramasinghe for three months' time to study the constitution of the SLAAT and conduct another meeting.

"We suggested that rather than forming a new association TAASL could be the major body covering outbound/inbound and other related aspects of the Travel and Tourism industry."

"After much deliberation the President, Wickramasinghe agreed to take a vote and 41 members voted saying that another meeting should be called after three months while only six members were opposed to it. After an exchange of views among the members, the President, Vice President and the committee members who conducted the meeting resigned."

Meanwhile, the new association SLAAT is hoping to launch its association on November 25 at a ceremony on November 25 at the BMICH with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe expected to be the chief guest. A gathering of 500 tourism professionals including the Minister of Tourism, as the guest of honour are expected to attend this event.

A press release from the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce states that this new association would be a landmark where all local travel agents will be united under one banner.

The new association will also help to streamline the inbound and outbound sector activities to prevent a conflict of interest between them and to facilitate the new provisions that would come into effect under the proposed Tourism Department law, mainly the new Marketing Bureau to promote Sri Lanka.

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