KATHMANDU: With the 43rd Universal Federation of Travel Agents’ Associations (UFTAA) congress scheduled to be inaugurated here on November 21, tour and travel agents across the country are hopeful of getting their key issues regarding service fees, zero commission, and low cost budget airlines addressed. According to UFTAA director Pavitra Kumar Karki, they are trying to move ahead according to international practice. Earlier, the travel agents were getting nine per cent commission here which dropped to seven per cent. Now, in Europe they are operating at a zero per cent commission rate. UFTAA chairman William Tan informed about the service fees, zero commission, low cost airlines. He added that the issues of Nepalese travel and trade, ethics in tourism and networking pertaining to the travel and tourism industry will be raised. “We are suffering due to business ethics problems,” said Nepal Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) president Ram Kaji Koney. Koney added that it is since 2000 that the travel agents are getting 7 per cent commission but there is a problem as some travel agents are allowed commission and some are not. Koney also said that the increase in the number of low budget airlines could also cast some negative effect on the travel agents’ business as these airlines provide tickets at very low rates. A budget airline is one that uses charter and/or scheduled flights to offer bargain-basement fares. A number of international airlines are seeking permission for their flight operations. Kingfisher Air had applied for operating a weekly flight between Kathmandu and Mumbai. Jet Airways has also asked for additional daily flight permission besides its existing flights. Fly Dubai has also filed an application to operate Kathmandu-Dubai flights. The UFTAA congress here will also focus on key issues plaguing travel agents in Canada and the US. “The UFTAA governing body is very much satisfied in being able to make its debut in Kathmandu for the first time and we are determined to continue working more closely with NATTA,” said UFTAA chairman Tan. The congress will run till November 22. “We will be having full-day sessions on issues like service fees, zero commission, low cost airlines. Nepalese travel and trade, ethics in tourism, networking pertaining to travel and tourism industry will be discussed,” said Tan. UFTAA is an umbrella body of national level travel agents associations belonging to different countries. At present, UFTAA has agents of 80 countries and 83 associations affiliated to it. The decision to hold the 43rd UFTAA congress in Kathmandu was taken in the UFTAA board meeting held in Hyderabad (India) last year. The UFTAA board comprises an elected president, two vice-presidents and nine directors. They are elected representatives from their respective regions. UFTAA has its network in 11 regions, covering the whole world. It is customary in UFTAA that any country/association willing to host the congress has to be present in the congress of the preceding year with a gala programme. NATTA did it in the 42nd UFTAA Congress held in Manila in 2008. This year, Bulgarian Association of Travel Agents (BATA) has Bulgaria Night on offer at Kathmandu. This means that BATA will host the 44th Congress in Sofia (Bulgaria).