e-3029 Business and trade
Petition to the Minister of Transport
Whereas:
Canadian travel advisors render services to Airlines and Tour operators to benefit their mutual customers;
Airlines in Canada need funding to survive;
The Minister of Transport has announced that bailout agreements will be conditional on consumers receiving refunds for trips cancelled due to COVID-19, and Canadian travel advisors support consumer refunds;
Canadian travel advisors support the option of Consumer refunds;
Canadian travel agencies and advisors operate as small businesses and rely on commissions paid by Airline and Tour operators for services rendered, as their main source of revenue. While occurring very rarely, the standing policy of Airlines and their Tour company subsidiaries in Canada has been, to date, to claw back commissions paid for services previously rendered by Travel Advisors, if the Client chooses to cancel;
Refunds to consumers are estimated by the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies to be $8 billion, which will translate to $200 Million in commission recalls; and
The travel advisor community has been working on behalf of their clients since mid-March, but with zero revenue. Many Travel advisors will personally be required to repay in excess of $10,000 in commissions for trips cancelled due to COVID-19, and will find this impossible, due to zero income since March, 2020, forcing many Travel agencies and Independent travel advisors into bankruptcy.
We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Minister of Transport to ensure that bailout subsidies and loans to Airlines will be conditional upon the protection of Travel advisor commissions paid for services rendered to Airlines and their subsidiary Tour companies.
Whereas:
Canadian travel advisors render services to Airlines and Tour operators to benefit their mutual customers;
Airlines in Canada need funding to survive;
The Minister of Transport has announced that bailout agreements will be conditional on consumers receiving refunds for trips cancelled due to COVID-19, and Canadian travel advisors support consumer refunds;
Canadian travel advisors support the option of Consumer refunds;
Canadian travel agencies and advisors operate as small businesses and rely on commissions paid by Airline and Tour operators for services rendered, as their main source of revenue. While occurring very rarely, the standing policy of Airlines and their Tour company subsidiaries in Canada has been, to date, to claw back commissions paid for services previously rendered by Travel Advisors, if the Client chooses to cancel;
Refunds to consumers are estimated by the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies to be $8 billion, which will translate to $200 Million in commission recalls; and
The travel advisor community has been working on behalf of their clients since mid-March, but with zero revenue. Many Travel advisors will personally be required to repay in excess of $10,000 in commissions for trips cancelled due to COVID-19, and will find this impossible, due to zero income since March, 2020, forcing many Travel agencies and Independent travel advisors into bankruptcy.
We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Minister of Transport to ensure that bailout subsidies and loans to Airlines will be conditional upon the protection of Travel advisor commissions paid for services rendered to Airlines and their subsidiary Tour companies.