The Hindu : National : Travel agents not to promote Malaysia

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 13, 2004

National

National

Travel agents not to promote Malaysia

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, APRIL 12. The Southern Regional Chapter of Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), representing the accredited travel agents, has decided not to promote Malaysia among the South East Asian countries till the Office of the Assistant High Commissioner of Malaysia in Chennai unconditionally withdraws the demand for a bank guarantee of Rs. 3.5 lakhs for issuance of Internet-based visas.

Highlighting the plight of the 150 TAAI members of the Southern region, its Chairman, R.A. Govindaradjalou, and vice-president, Sylvester Thomas, told a news conference here on Monday that though the introduction of Internet-visa system was a "welcome step," the demand for executing a bank guarantee of Rs. 3.5 lakhs amounted to "pinning down the responsibility of judging the genuine intention of the travelling public on the travel agents."

Describing it as a "retrograde step," the TAAI Chairman said the introduction of the I-visa as a pilot project from March 15 had put intending travellers to Malaysia to hardship as they were compelled to make personal appearance before the Assistant High Commissioner's office.

TAAI contributed nearly 85 per cent of the business and tourism traffic to Malaysia, Mr. Govindaradjalou said.

At a time when 450 visas were issued daily by the Office of the Assistant High Commissioner in Chennai, the new system had drastically reduced the issuance of visas to 70.

Under such circumstances and considering the ethnic traffic generated especially from Tamil Nadu to Malaysia, he appealed to the Assistant High Commissioner to represent the gravity of the situation to the respective Ministries and withdraw the order requiring the bank guarantee.

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