The tourism and travel industry is one of the largest industry sectors in India. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is responsible for regulating the aviation travel industry worldwide. Entrepreneurs aiming to become a travel agent or start a travel agency business can obtain an IATA accreditation or registration.
The IATA registration will boost the travel business revenue. The IATA-certified travel agency businesses can issue airline tickets on behalf of airlines. Thus, it simplifies booking processes and cuts expenses for both travel agency businesses and airlines.
The IATA accreditation helps build and grow the business relationship between travel agents of the business and airlines. Following are the benefits of obtaining an IATA registration by travel agency businesses:
The following business registrations are required to establish a travel agency business in India:
The IATA registration is not mandatory for becoming a travel agent or establishing a travel agency business. However, having an IATA registration can boost the revenue and provide credibility to the travel agency business. The IATA registration shows the potential customers and vendors that the business is an accredited travel agency.
The below criteria needs to be met by the applicants for obtaining IATA accreditation:
The financial record and standing of the applicant play a significant role in the IATA accreditation process. In India, satisfactory financial evaluation for IATA registration is done based on the audited accounts of the travel agency business, which are as follows:
The above financial information of the applicant will be extracted from the audited accounts of the business. Further, all agents/travel agency businesses should give financial security during the first two years as an agent. All travel agents/travel agency businesses must provide minimum financial security of USD 50,000 to be accredited as IATA agents.
Once the applicant (travel agents/travel agency businesses) meets the IATA accreditation criteria mentioned above, they can apply for IATA accreditation/registration. The process to get IATA accreditation is as follows:
When the application is approved, the IATA accreditation will be sent to the applicant.
The following documents must be notarised and submitted along with the application form:
The tourism industry in India is significant. IATA registration benefits travel agencies, simplifying bookings. A few benefits include access to IATA airline members and a unique global ID. Financial evaluation criteria are crucial for accreditation. Necessary registrations for starting a travel agency include business and GST registrations. An applicant must meet staff and premises requirements, provide financial security, and demonstrate financial stability for IATA accreditation.