Punjab travel agents to get govt seal

The Punjab government is planning to initiate the process of accreditation of travel agents operating in the state.

The move aims to curb the practice of sending the poor and gullible youth abroad illegally by unscrupulous and unauthorised travel agents. The Malta incident of December 1996 is the most infamous of such cases.

The move comes after there were allegations of a large number of new cheating cases in which agents are said to have duped candidates by sending them abroad on fake documents or visit visas. This lands them in trouble soon after reaching the destination, at the same time making it difficult to come back.

"There have been growing instances where deceitful travel agents have been sending the youth abroad. There is an immediate need to curb this. We will start the process of accreditation of travel agents and frame a model code of ethics. A directory of accredited travel agents, hoteliers and transporters will also be printed and distributed for reference," said Punjab Tourism Minister Jagmohan Singh Kang.

Kang said for registering and licensing travel agents, a committee would be formed under the chairmanship of the tourism secretary, which will include representatives from the travel and hotel industry to make further rules and regulations.

"This will lend authenticity and credibility to the agents with licences from the tourism department of Punjab," he said.

He said it was possible for one deceitful travel agent to give a bad name to the business. The directory of accredited travel agents will also be available to the tourists visiting the state.

Manmeet Singh of Sky High Tours and Travels, who is also vice-president of the Punjab division of the Indian Association of Tour Operators, said the step was overdue and would give a new direction in building the image of the country abroad. There were many cases where the Centre and the Punjab government faced embarrassment from foreign officials.

"The government will focus on the development of the tourism industry in Punjab. For this purpose, it has also increased the tourism budget to Rs 5 crore. But it is the private sector that has to come forward to make it a successful initiative. Regular meetings with stakeholders of the tourism industry will be held to get feedback," Kang added.