Department of Tourist Services (DTS) has axed licences of 17 travel agencies due to multiple reasons, well-placed sources told Business Recorder on Thursday. DTS has taken this step a few days ago because some travel agencies out of 17 have not paid their renewal fees while some have crossed their legally-permitted limits and were engaged in illegal exercises, sources said.
According to details, DTS has cancelled licences of Mugul travels and tours, Defence view Pahse-2, Salateen Aviation travels and tours, Kahayaban-e-Jami, Chilton air travel, Lea Market, Kech Makran travels and tours, Layari, MMB travels and tours, Sharfabad, Khokhar travels and tours, DHA phase-2, Marwat travels and tours, Malir, Konain travels and tours, Kharadar, Harm-e-Mustafa travels and tours, Manghopir road, Mehran travels and tours, Hotel Metropole building, Khamisani Sons travels and tours, I.I Chandrigar road, Mega travels and tours, US Global Resource Marketing, Al-Naeem travels and tours, Air Miles travels and tours DHA Phase-5 and Karwan-e-Zamzama University road, Karachi.
While, permits of two more travel agencies running in other districts of Sindh including Daharki tours and travels, Daharki, district Ghotki and Janwri Brothers travels and tours Khairpur Nathan Shah, district Dadu have also been cancelled. DTS has cancelled these licences on different times due to different reasons, sources added.
Sources informed that there are some types of licences, if any travel agency will cross its permit limit; licence would be cancelled, while if any travel agency will not pay its renewal fees so DTS has the right to cancel its licence without informing the management of such travel agency.
They said that there are millions of arrears towards a large number of travel agencies throughout province. Cancellation of licences is part of recovery of that big amount, sources added. DTS officials are restoring licences of travel agencies with receiving of penalty amount, which was minimum one thousand to maximum 25,000, sources informed. It is pertinent to mention here DTS has been devolved to provincial tourism department a few months back. Earlier, it had also cancelled licences of 27 travel agencies due to multiple reasons.