National Standard "Booking agents, Tour operators and Travel agencies in Suriname" established

01 January 0001
National Standard "Booking agents, Tour operators and Travel agencies in Suriname" established

Based on its mandate laid down in SB 2006 no. 30 Article 4, paragraph 1, the Final Draft National Standard "Booking Agents, Tour Operators and Travel Agencies in Suriname" was revised by the SSB and consequently adopted as National Standard.

The Surinamese Standards Bureau (SSB), as the person responsible for standards in Suriname, has proudly announced the National Standard "Booking agents, Tour operators and Travel agencies in Suriname" on 9 December 2019.

Various stakeholders from the sector have worked on this standard, namely: Gyo Gummels from Purity Tours & Services N.V., Ms. Susan Groenefelt-Leysner from Packed and Ready Tours N.V., Ms. Joyce Toelsie from the District Commissioner Nickerie, Mr. Hemradj Jagesar of the Association of Surinamese Travel Agents (ASRA) and mrs. Videsha Munusami as Technical Secretary on behalf of the Surinamese Standards Bureau.

This standard is the first revision of the National Standard "Booking Agents and Tour Operators" that was adopted in December 2014.

This document contains minimum specific requirements for good business operations, thereby contributing to the optimization of consumer safety. When selling local tours, a booking agent and a travel agency work as an extension of the tour operator. It is therefore necessary that a booking agent / travel agent, who makes local bookings for a tour operator, adheres to the same guidelines with regard to bookings that the tour operator must adhere to according to the standard itself. Hence, due to this overlap in responsibilities, the guidelines for Booking Agents, Tour Operators and Travel Agencies are combined in this standard.

The hope is expressed that this standard may contribute to the further growth and strengthening of the tourism sector in Suriname, with the next step being to raise the National Standard to a Technical Regulation.