The Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) and the Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO) are proposing a merger that would bring travel agents, tour operators, wholesalers and travel management companies under a single industry body from 1 July 2026.
Both entities’ boards have unanimously endorsed the proposal, which would see CATO “merge into” ATIA, while retaining the council’s brand, events, Touring Academy and identity as a division within the larger ATIA body.
CATO members will vote on the proposal at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on 9 June 2026. ATIA members would then vote on a new constitution at ATIA’s AGM on 22 June.
The proposal follows years of collaboration between the two organisations around accreditation, advocacy and industry issues.
“We looked at various things… the conclusion that we came to was that we should merge,” CATO Chair Dennis Bunnik told Karryon in an interview.
“Ultimately, what we could see from the bigger picture was that this is right for the industry; we need a strong voice to government.”
The proposed structure would formally create a constitutionally protected CATO division within ATIA focused on land supply, touring and wholesale.
Importantly for council members concerned about losing representation, the CATO division would have its own committee, voted in by CATO members only. Five current CATO board directors would initially move to that committee, while four additional positions would be elected at the CATO AGM in late June.
The chair of the CATO division would also automatically hold a seat on the ATIA board.
ATIA Chair Christian Hunter said the structure was deliberately designed to protect CATO members and avoid any perception the merger was symbolic only.
“We didn’t want this to be seen as tokenistic. We actually want it to be set up to be really effective for CATO members,” Hunter told Karryon.
“In order to ensure that this has been appropriately protected, we are constitutionally enshrining CATO within the ATIA constitution, so CATO is legally protected.”
Not a takeover
Both parties have also rebuked the notion that this was a takeover of CATO or even an absorption into ATIA.
“The reason why it’s a merger is that it has been a collaborative process regarding where this is going, and that’s really important,” ATIA CEO Dean Long said.
“It means CATO members will be the only division members who will be able to appoint anybody to the ATIA board outside of the standard voting structure.
“That’s not an absorption. That is 100% the extraction of a significant level of value due to the strength of CATO and the respect that ATIA has for the CATO structures, membership and leadership team.”
Bunnik added that it “makes sense for us [CATO] to merge into that entity” as “ATIA has the bigger resources”.
Business as usual?
Hunter added that day-to-day engagement for members would remain largely unchanged.
“From a day-to-day perspective, their world doesn’t change significantly, but we have the benefit of the unity of the industry, the elevated advocacy position.”
The proposal would also see CATO’s two employees, Mira Yates (GM) and Josie Gruber, transition into the ATIA structure, with Mira joining the association’s leadership team. Members would continue to deal with the same contacts and training programs, such as the Touring Academy, while CATO events like its Christmas Lunch, International Women’s Day event, and Hall of Fame dinner would remain.
Bunnik said the Touring Academy could become more influential under the new structure, especially through stronger links with retail travel advisors.
“That will actually be strengthened… pushed throughout the retail travel networks and encouraging more travel agents to sign up.”
He also said the merger would help reinforce the value of booking through Australian-based tour operators and wholesalers.
“So as a travel agent, you protect yourself under Consumer Law, and you don’t put yourself at risk by using DMCs overseas, for example.”
Stronger together
Both organisations repeatedly stressed the merger was about industry unity and stronger advocacy during complex trading conditions.
ATIA CEO Dean Long said global instability highlighted why a more unified industry voice mattered.
“There comes a time when you need a singular branding,” Long said, adding that previous challenges had proved that.
“The first 48 hours [of the current Middle East crisis]… our ability to get on the front foot and be that voice for the industry out in the consumer space meant that we were able to avoid what happened during COVID, which was mass cancellations, mass confusion.”
Long said one lesson from the pandemic was that different sectors of the travel industry were not always aligned.
“We weren’t always on the same page during COVID,” he told Karryon.
“Coming out of this, we want to create systems and processes that allow us to do that and get the outcome right first.”
Less ambiguity
Bunnik said the proposal also addressed confusion around overlapping memberships and representation.
“What this solution does… it actually fixes that ambiguity,” he said.
“You have ATIA speaking for travel intermediaries, which includes tour operators and wholesalers, and you’ve got CATO talking here.”
By creating separate divisions under one organisation, Bunnik believes members would retain sector-specific representation while benefiting from industry influence.
The merger also carries a layer of symbolism for CATO.
“Ironically, CATO was born out of being kicked out of AFTA [Australian Federation of Travel Agents] many years ago,” Bunnik said. It’s been around 30 years, to be more accurate.
“So it’s a homecoming… with safeguards that we can’t get kicked out of home again.”
Fees explained
While governance and advocacy formed part of the announcement, the biggest practical change for many members may be the future fee structure.
Under the proposed structure, CATO-only members in ATIA membership tiers one to four, representing businesses with turnover below $100 million, would have their FY28 ATIA membership fees covered using CATO-retained earnings. That means many would not pay membership fees again until FY29.
Joint ATIA and CATO members would also have FY28 fees covered, with additional credits extending into FY29 depending on membership tier and fee levels.
“For those larger members in tier five, whether they’re joint or CATO only, what we’re effectively going to be saying is from FY28 you will be only paying one set of fees,” Long said.
“And we’re pretty sure that those tier fives are going to be really comfortable with that, in knowing that we’ve really got to support our small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) through this period.”
Long said both organisations recognised that SMEs were currently feeling pressure due to global instability and softer trading conditions.
Bunnik departs
In other big news, after more than a decade in the role, Bunnik says he will step down as CATO chair “regardless of whether it’s a yes vote or a no vote [for the merger]”.
“After 14 years on the board, 11 as chair, it’s time for some new blood,” Bunnik told Karryon.
Read more about that story here.
KARRYON UNPACKS: For years, parts of the travel industry have spoken with different voices. This proposed merger feels like a recognition that today’s challenges demand something bigger, louder and more unified. The fee relief will grab headlines, but the real story may be whether one industry body can balance every sector’s interests.
