PARLIAMENT WANTS A NEW TRAVEL AGENCY

Parliament has invited tenders for travel agency services. An ad has been placed on government’s e-tender portal with specifications as to what the country’s parliament is looking for.

The placement, placed on 13 August, included a long list of requirements, responsibilities and tasks that will be required from the successful candidate.

The contract will run for three years and the agency will be required to manage bookings for air travel, hotel accommodation, airport transfers, car rentals, conference facilities, and point-to-point shuttle services.

One of the points that stood out was the 30 000 annual flights taken by Members of Parliament (MPs) alone. On top of that, the agency will be expected to book more than 7 000 domestic, regional, and international flights, within institutional travel for MPs and other parliamentary officials.

Other requirements include that bidders must be able to negotiate best prices as well as carry a 30-day account with an estimated value of R19 million.

Business Insider reports that the selected travel agency will be responsible for airline ticketing, visa services and incidental services such as revalidation, re-routing, re-issuance, reconfirmation, processing refunds and cancellations, and the preparation of suitable itineraries, including alternative routings, departures, and arrivals.

Image credit: The South African