Voting for the restructure of the WYSE Travel Confederation closed yesterday with overwhelming support from members for the change. A majority of the membership took part in the online vote with 89% voting in favour of the restructure.
The streamlined Confederation will enter 2016 operationally improved and strategically aligned to help support and grow the youth and student tourism industry. Key benefits of the restructure will be improved response times to challenges in the market place and even better representation of the youth and student market to destinations and governments.
The Sector Associations of STAY WYSE and WYSE Work and Volunteer Abroad will be merged into the main Confederation as expert Advisory Panels – minimising costs and administration whilst maximising representation and comment to the industry.
Launches are planned, over the coming few months, of new Advisory Panels for ‘Insurance Services and Travel/ Child Safety’ and ‘Language Travel’. With the addition of these new panels, WYSE Travel Confederation will have specific expertise and representation across the full spectrum of the youth, student and educational market place.
Talks are continuing with the insurance association of IASIS and the au pair association of IAPA about their involvement in the new Confederation, and it is confirmed that they will remain as founding Sector Association members.
David Chapman, Director General of WYSE Travel Confederation is quoted as saying:
“With youth travel representing 23% of international arrivals I am delighted that the WYSE Travel Confederation membership has voted in favour of the restructure as this will allow us to remove the current burden of administration and to step forward to truly become the definitive voice of youth and student travel”.