ARTA Canada's Bishins Elected to UFTAA Board

World's Largest Federation of Travel Agency Associations
to Pave New Path to the Future 

Toronto, 26 October 2010: Canada's Association of Retail Travel Agents (ARTA Canada) President Bruce Bishins was elected to the Board of Directors of the United Federation of Travel Agents' Associations (UFTAA) at its 44th annual general meeting held last week. The UFTAA meetings were hosted by Italian trade press publication TTG-Italia in conjunction with its Incontri Trade Fair held in the resort city of Rimini, Italy on the Adriatic Coast.

"I am pleased to have the confidence of UFTAA members to represent them on the board, and I look forward to working with my fellow board members on all matters involving UFTAA and its future", said Bishins.

The 2011 UFTAA Board of Directors includes the following representatives of their respective travel and tourism organizations:

Anwar Al Ashtal - Yemen
Mario Bevacqua- Italy
Bruce Bishins - Canada
Paula Cortes Calle - Colombia
Dato Khalid Harun - Malaysia
Richard Lohento - Benin
Patrick Mwale - Zambia
Rajinder Rai - India
Mohammed Raoui - Morocco
Nelly Sandalska - Bulgaria
Burmaa Ukhnai - Mongolia

UFTAA, representing 80 of the world's travel agency associations and organizations, agreed to set a new path to the future by convening a Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) to develop ideas and concepts for UFTAA's mission, operations, and services to members.

The new board will review the SPC's progress in early 2011.

About ARTA Canada 

ARTA Canada is the largest non-profit federally incorporated professional association of travel retailers in Canada, the members of which consist exclusively of travel agencies and travel agents. In addition to advocating fair and equitable treatment of travel consumers, ARTA Canada represents the commercial and strategic interests of its member travel agencies and travel agents in a variety of national and provincial domains including regulatory and legislative matters, automation, technology, sales and marketing, and distribution.

ARTA Canada is the strategic partner in Canada of the U.S.-based Association of Retail Travel Agents (ARTA). ARTA Canada is the Canadian member of UFTAA, the United Federation of Travel Agents' Associations.

To join ARTA Canada, complete details and online membership application and secure payment are available on the ARTA Canada web site by visiting www.artacanada.ca/join.