AFTA to dramatically evolve its constitution
AFTA is set to announce sweeping changes as it launches a new constitution today.
The document can be found here and has been launched as a draft.
AFTA CEO, Dean Long engaged with travel trade media yesterday in a series of talks.
“It’s a draft. We want feedback and consultation,” Long said.
The biggest change in the proposed constitution affects the voting rights for AFTA’s members.
Prior to the amendment, the number of votes that a member would receive was based on the number of retail stores that a member had. The more shop fronts, the more votes.
But in the proposed constitution the members’ Total Transaction Value (TTV) will define how many votes they receive. The higher the TTV, the more votes the member gets.
This is significant because the votes are used to elect AFTA board members.
Long believes that the new structure will lead to independents, who control around 200 of the 750 votes, having a greater voice.
“These reforms are about actually engaging existing members and winning back members that have left over time because they felt like they didn’t have a say,” he said.
Furthermore Long believes that this simpler voting structure will be more transparent and will help AFTA lobby on the travel industry’s behalf.
“When we talk to government they go ‘Oh yeah, we know who you are and we know who you represent’,” Long said.
The second major reform within the mooted constitution is within its language.
“We’ve fixed up who we represent. We do specifically call out now tour operators, wholesalers, consolidators, agents, etc in the constitution. Before it just was agents. It’s a big step forward for us,” said Long.
Finally, and in a ‘Thank God’ moment, the constitution is moving into the 21st century and dropping pronouns entirely.
Previously, under its more traditional leadership, the AFTA constitution stipulated phrases like “He shall be elected”.
Long said, “We’re in 2023. The fact that was in there..! When I joined the board we had 50 per cent representation and they were really vocal saying, ‘We’ve got to get this cleaned up. This is not who AFTA is’ and I’m really proud of that.”
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