Travel industry woes

TS,Friday October 28, 2011 

Operators providing road transport services to tourists are besieged with problems, many of which have remained unresolved for umpteen years. 

The fault lies squarely on both the industry players and the relevant authorities. 

There have been countless meetings between private and public sectors over the years but they are mainly for airing of views by those present, which did not necessarily reflect the rest of the industry or good governance. 

This is because many organisations, particularly in the private sector, are not institutionalised. 

Some run non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in such a way that they are more or less non-governmental individuals (NGIs). 

Government agencies should evolve into great institutions for administration by building upon its success, setting clear policies and implementing them with transparency. 

NGOs such as the Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA) should also do likewise although people that helm it come and go. 

Formed in 1975, MATTA has over 2,800 corporate members. The popular biannual MATTA Fair is about the only success story, as the majority of members will have difficulty naming others when asked to do so. 

What MATTA ought to do is to set detailed policies in areas that are of great concern to many members such as road transportation. 

The first task is organising a forum and it must be different from the norm in order to be effective. 

Those who attend conventional forums listen to various speakers addressing the state of the industry from their point of view.

During Q&A sessions, those pouring out their grievances waste much time highlighting matters that are already common knowledge. 

Such forums normally ends with the authorities promising to look into the issues raised but changes remain unseen. 

The cycle is repeated when new set of people attempt to address the same old problems from scratch. 

To charter a new course, Matta should organise forums using a new format. 

It can start by inviting feedbacks from all members and getting people with expertise to collate them. The problems and proposals can then be forwarded to the speakers in advance. 

There is no need to wait until the forum to hear the problems and challenges faced by various quarters. 

The speakers should be given the questions and prepare the answers in advance, instead of just a topic. 

The forum will be huge success when solutions are offered and cooperation sought from the participants. 

Rationale should be the order of the day rather than the release of hot air as some participants tend to allow emotions to rule. 

MATTA should take an official position by making known its stand on various issues, stating them clearly in a detailed policy. 

Without such an important document, the members have no idea, much less the authorities. 

For example, although enforcement is under the purview of the relevant agencies, MATTA can put forward the views of the association and suggest to the authorities to step up on enforcement or hold back, as some rules need to be changed to promote a healthier industry. 

No doubt, the initial draft of such policies will be far from perfect but it will be strengthened over time through revisions and changes in keeping abreast with the developments. 

The policy can serve as a guide and members no longer need to fend for themselves. 

As such, it is also necessary for MATTA to set a detailed policy on education and training, which is very much lacking in the travel industry. 

A training school was started in the late 1990s but has been in suspended animation over the last couple of years. 

Most MATTA members have a poor grasp on education and training. 

Other than tourist guide training made mandatory by the Government, few practitioners are formally trained for their jobs. 

Those who eventually work their way up expect others to do the same. 

They see training as a cost without realising that ignorance is a greater cost in terms of lost opportunities and compensation. 

The travel sector should emulate other tourism sectors such as hospitality where staff are constantly trained in running hotels and restaurants. 

To nurture and promote a training culture will require a change of mindset. 

Travel industry players have yet to realise that education and training are the bedrock for professionalism. 

The private sector has been lamenting that fresh graduates are not equipped with the necessary skills to perform well in their jobs, while educational institutions must have their reasons for offering academic studies. 

Clearly, a huge gap needs to be bridged. Finding and building the link would require the concerted efforts of Matta and higher learning institutions. 

The challenge will be easier to overcome when a detailed policy on education and training is used as the reference. 

Without such an instrument, ideas and knowledge will remain floating in thin air. 

To produce concrete results, they must be collected, collated, deliberated and decided for implementation. 

As such, the forum on road transportation scheduled for the morning can be followed by education and training in the same afternoon. It may well turn out to be the watershed for MATTA and the travel industry. 

YS Chan 

Kuala Lumpur