Matta
urges members to use Internet
The Star, October 4, 2000
The Malaysian Association of Tours and Travel Agents (Matta) plans
to encourage its 1,400 members to use the Internet in their daily
operations.
As a step in that direction, Matta will be holding its 1st e-business
conference and exhibition 2000 in Kuala Lumpur.
"The ones who are using the internet are mostly involved in surfing
for information while the number of Matta members who actually
conduct transaction online is a lot less," its president Tunku
Iskandar Tunku Abdullah told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur
yesterday.
Tunku Iskandar said there was a need to get more members to embrace
the internet as at present less than 25% used the internet in
their daily chores.
He said that with the expected increase in internet users, travel
agents should utilise its many advantages as it could help save
costs that went into transportation and brochures.
According to Tunku Iskandar, in a borderless world, travel agents
will be faced with more competition from other countries, and
the best way to stay competitive is via the internet.
"E-commerce has changed the face of business and is generating
new business models and new corporate strategies. The travel business
is very much exposed to this environment and events are moving
fast to threaten the livelihood of travel agents," he said. "To
be successful, travel agents need to connect quickly with customers,
suppliers and others they do business with."
The main sponsor and event manager for the Matta e-business conference
is eOneNet.com, which launched
the ebusiness ownership
campaign 2000 last month, aimed at encouraging Malaysian businesses
to get online.
eOneNet.com president and chief executive officer Fione Tan said
the conference would be useful to all travel agents as unlike
other internet conferences, it would be tailored for travel agents.
"The conference will not only benefit the big players but also
those in the small and medium-sized industries (SMI) category.
A travel agent can actually have a chance to walk out of the conference
and have his new website up and running within a few days," she
said.
eOneNet.com will sponsor
all travel agents to get online by offering free web design and
hosting services package for RM300.
"Matta Urges members to use Internet
- The Star"
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