Society of Travel Agents (SOTA), an exclusive travel trade association of International Air Transport Association (IATA) approved travel agents, will open its 15 regional chapters in India by July 31, 2010. Regional Directors and other office bearers of all the 15 regional chapters will also be selected.

Priority of the Society is to improve the membership base. The monthly meeting of SOTA which was held in Delhi last week witnessed the formation of different committees, like Domestic Airlines, Tourism, Visa, Membership and Disputes redressal for the Delhi regional chapter. Y Guglani, Regional Director, New Delhi Chapter said, “We want SOTA to become a better place and work for the fraternity. We don’t want petty politics and personal vested interests to come into play in SOTA.”

SOTA has also submitted a 14-point charter of demands (abolition of viodation charges on international tickets and e-tickets, abolition of ticket cancellation fee, and date change penalty, refund of unused tickets) to the Secretary of Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee for Tourism and Civil Aviation for redressal.