The Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) has announced Singapore Airlines as the major sponsor of the National Travel Industry Awards (NTIA) for the second straight year.
Speaking to media in Sydney on Wednesday, AFTA CEO Dean Long said Singapore Airlines had signed on as NTIA’s major sponsor in a multi-year deal.
“More importantly, this is a comprehensive strategic partnership [with] a critical carrier that services Australia, and continued to service Australia during the pandemic; an airline which is committed to this country in product, service and also frequencies,” he added.
“We’re really excited about the years ahead and what we’re going to do in Melbourne in November.”
Long added in a statement that the event was “an excellent opportunity to come together to celebrate and acknowledge the innovation, determination and resilience of our people and our sector”.
Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines General Manager Agency Sales Greg McJarrow told media the carrier was “very proud” to announce its ongoing partnership with NTIA.
Though he did not comment on the exact length of the agreement, McJarrow confirmed the airline had signed on until at least 2024.
“To us, it is a really important event”, he said, not just to come together but “to celebrate the successes of the past year”.
“This is a natural continuation of our commitment to the industry, and to our agency partners. So it’s a thank you for this as well.”
AFTA logo gone
When asked about the removal of the AFTA logo from NTIA branding, Long said the event wasn’t about the organisation.
“The National Travel Industry Awards is about the entire travel industry – it’s about tour operators, it’s about wholesalers, it’s consolidators and it’s also about our agencies,” he remarked.
“And we don’t want people to confuse that this is an agency-only awards. These are the peak awards for the entire industry, and it’s something we’re really proud to be the custodians of.
“It’s why we introduced the NTIA Custodians as well, to ensure that we have a broad array of voices in making sure these continue to be the preeminent awards for the entire sector.”
Nominations for the expanded and restructured awards are now underway.
This year’s NTIA will be the first in Melbourne in nearly 20 years and also the first to involve the new NTIA Custodians. Melbourne’s Palladium at Crown will be the host venue for the gala.
