The Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB) today called for reform in the travel sector, aimed at addressing alleged irregularities, with a focus on reducing airfares and ensuring discipline.

ATAB also made a 9-point request aimed at addressing the challenges facing the industry.

“There must be a guideline for group airline tickets to control hoarding and syndication in the sale of airline tickets,” ATAB President Abdus Salam Aref said during the a press briefing.

The ATAB president said he was concerned about the rising cost of airline tickets, which he said was partly due to the hoarding of tickets under the guise of group bookings.

Aref claimed that some airlines, in collaboration with certain agents, were manipulating the system.

He claimed that many people are selling tickets without being registered with the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).

“Some companies collect payments from customers for tickets and then disappear,” Aref explained.

ATAB’s 9-point demand includes formulating appropriate regulations for online travel agencies (OTAs), ending hoarding and syndication in the sale of airline tickets, and mandating information on tickets to include the name, contact number and price of the agency.

“It should be mandatory to mention the agency name, phone number and price on the ticket,” Aref said, adding that foreign websites and APIs must be stopped from illegally operating businesses in Bangladesh .

“It is essential to prevent OTAs from providing login credentials to unlicensed travel agents, tour operators or establishments. This must be strictly monitored,” he added.

He called for measures to prevent passengers with tickets purchased in third countries, such as India, Dubai and Singapore, from boarding flights in Bangladesh, as this would stop money outflows and dampen sales tickets from these countries.

He asked to check the practice of offering incentives for large advances on tickets.

ATAB Secretary General Afsia Jannat Saleh, Vice Presidents Mustafizur Rahman Hero and Mohammad Ziaur Rahman Khan Nawaz, and Joint Secretary Atikur Rahman were also present at the briefing, among others.