Japan Association of Travel Agents (J.A.T.A.)
Are there any travel trade association in your country ? If yes, is it active or just friendship club?
We have JATA stands for Japan Association of Travel Agents here in the Japanese market. This incorporated general association established in 1959 is quite active and influential organization with 1,187 active member companies, 409 associate members, 90 allied members and 496 overseas allied members.
There are around 90 staff in JATA and one third is temporally transferring staff from major travel agents and they will return back their companies after few year duty. They have 8 offices all over Japan from Hokkaido to Okinawa prefecture. Active member companies shouldparticipate in the Compensation Security Bond System and are authorized by the Commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency as First Category or by the Governor General in prefectures across Japan as Second and Third Category Companies.
There is another travel company association called ANTA (All Nippon Travel Agents Association), which has more Third Category Companies and smaller agents because of lower membership fee.
JATA is working for member companies, but they are also bridge between travel trade and ministries and politicians, consultant for Japanese Travel Agency Act (Travel Trade Law), training and testing for Certified Travel Supervisor. If you are interested in vision, structure and functions of organization, please visit https://www.jata-net.or.jp/about/pdf/2018_profile.pdf
I would like to discuss how we cooperate with JATA practically here. When you conduct activities in the Japanese market, naturally good relationship with JATA is important. For instance,
1, When you step into Japanese market for the first time as tourist organization, JATA is good gateway and courtesy call to JATA top management will pave the way to Japanese travel trade. Also your visiting will be reported their monthly membership magazine JATA communication. We recommend to send profile of visitors, organization before the meeting to JATA.
2, There is Japan Outbound Tourism Council (JOTC) to boost outbound traveling, whose members are JATA member companies, national tourism organizations, embassies, tour operators, airlines, hotels, travel trade press and other travel related companies. They organize destination seminars, cultural events, organize theme forum. To participate in their activities is quite reasonable, sometimes even free of charge and you can save financial and human resources to organize your own activities.
3, When you organize seminars or workshops, JATA could help you to spread out information through JATA website and news release. Especially this is useful for those who haven’t established database on travel trade.
4,When you implement activities not only in Tokyo, but also other local cities, branches of JATA office could help you through their local network.
5, Once a year, board meeting consists of top managements in major travel agents is organized outside of Japan. This is good opportunity for you to introduce your destinations. Naturally they are influential persons in and out of the companies and normally it’s almost impossible to invite them to fam trips or VIP trips.
6, When you face destination crisis such as natural disaster or terrorism attach, JATA could support you from information side and even send fam trip for soonest recovery.
Finally it’s needless to say that you need constant good relationship with JATA to get support from them like above. Naturally we are allied member and make frequent contact with key persons in JATA.