2009 annual report

1

ASTA is doing more Its lobbying efforts are finding a toehold Its education is engaging and relevant

2 0 0 9 A N N U A L R E P O R T

T R A V E L W E E K L Y

2

In 2009 ASTArsquos value to the travel industry

expanded from federal and state legislation to

include educational and technological realms

Although the Society continued to speak up for

travel agencies across the country on Capitol

Hill on many subjects education was its main

goal With more than 20 Webinars and 17

online tutorials ASTA taught travel industry

professionals how to survive in tough economic

times

When United Airlines announced they were

shifting credit card fees to select travel agents

ASTA stood against this movement The Society

created a grassroots campaign to lobby Congress

to overhaul the rules protecting the nationrsquos

credit card owners from unfair and deceptive

business practices ASTA also worked closely with

Congressional leadership to bring pressure to

United on withdraw this practice

In an effort to prepare its members for possible

additional fees and increasingly stringent

regulations ASTA provided opportunities for

travel agents to learn how to better manage their

business and increase profits Webinars were

held on topics from best business practices and

branding to working with the media All of these

sessions taught members to use tools they already

had to increase and strengthen their business

Throughout the year ASTA members were

educated on topics that ranged from how to protect

their businesses to becoming more eco-friendly In

the spirit of accessibility ASTA held its inaugural

virtual conference and board meetings which

explored a new outlet for connecting the travel

industry

ASTA also expanded its horizons in a non-

traditional way through social media The Society

ramped up its presence on social and business

networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn

and joined the Twitter sphere where it promoted

ASTArsquos value to new industry partners agents

and travelers By integrating social media into its

campaigns ASTA has developed a new way for the

travel industry to learn from and connect with the

Society and each other

Knowledge is power and ASTA became a leader in

industry educational tools increasing the value

of membership and creating a new role for itself

Through effective representation and shared

knowledge ASTA continued to help its members

dedicate themselves to the business of selling

travel

A S T Arsquo S V A L U E T O T H E I N D U S T R Y

3

M I S S I O N S T A T E M E N T

ASTArsquos (the American Society of Travel Agentsrsquo)

mission is to facilitate the business of selling travel

through effective representation shared knowledge

and the enhancement of professionalism

V I S I O N S T A T E M E N T

ASTA seeks a retail travel marketplace that is

profitable growing and a rewarding place to work

invest and do business

4

M E S S A G E F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T

I think we can all agree that 2009 has been a year

of change These past few years have brought us

one challenge after another and I have to say wersquore

holding up pretty well As an industry we have

battled the publicrsquos perception that the Internet

is taking some of our clients various man-made

and natural disasters that have impeded travel

and worst of all the addition of more travel fees

and taxes I hope to one day pass my agency to my

sons so I need the travel industry to survive and

thrive for the next 20 years I donrsquot look simply at

our immediate future as an industry rather I am

concerned about our long-term viability So what

do we need to do now to ensure our industry is

thriving in the future Be involved Whether itrsquos

fighting taxes working for legislation that is pro-

small businesses or getting in line with the times

and communicating with our clients through social

media we all need to work on behalf of our indus-

try

ASTA has done a great job on our behalf standing

up for travel agents when legislation or regulations

threaten our livelihood promoting our value to the

traveling public and giving us the tools we need

to make our businesses more successful and more

efficient ASTA represents our industry when we

have issues with legislation on a local state and

federal level and fights for our interests when other

groups have activities or policies which are harm-

ful to the travel agent industry

We have been launched into a new age of technol-

ogy and our clients have new needs A few years

ago ASTA was just a physical presence We had

chapter meetings a printed weekly newsletter

decals pins etc We were only open Mondays

through Fridays from 9-5 Now we are truly a

global virtual service provider--before during and

after Members can access Webinars white papers

education courses and more on ASTAorg These

services allow members to do business with con-

sumers and other ASTA members worldwide 247

In the past year we have grown our educational

offerings because we feel that knowledge is the

most valuable tool of all With multiple Webinars

each month more destination specialist courses

and hands-on training at events such as THET-

RADESHOW or for a more in-depth experience

the International Destination Expo ASTA mem-

bers are prepared ASTA also helps international

agents looking to expand their networks through

the Buyers Guide and Web Exchange ASTA sup-

ports all of its travel agent members through the

free consumer lead service from Travel Senseorg

These are resources that expand your business in

every way

We encourage all our members to make the most of

online networking opportunities For example we

developed several member tools to allow suppliers

to connect electronically with travel agents But

more than that we are encouraging our members

to explore the world of social networking through

a series of LinkedIn groups created with the needs

of different sectors of our membership in mind

Social networking is not a one-size-fits-all medium

In the time I have been a travel agent my excite-

ment for travel hasnrsquot waned In the time I have

been active in ASTA my enthusiasm for the Soci-

ety and what it continues to accomplish hasnrsquot fad-

ed I am confident that in the year ahead we will

continue to be challenged but that with a helping

hand there isnrsquot anything we canrsquot handle Wersquove

come a long way fast but wersquove had to because our

members have had to

Regards

Chris Russo

ASTA President and Chair

5

A S TA E X ECU T I V E COMMI T T EE

President amp ChairChris RussoTravel PartnersBroomfield CO

Vice President amp SecretaryK Hope WallaceADA TravelCasa Grande AZ

TreasurerNina Meyer CTCMCCDSExpress TravelMiami FL

CAC-Member DirectorEllen BettridgeAmerican Express Retail Travel NetworkNew York NY

BOA RD OF DIREC TORS

Susan H Aft ACCDiscount Travel and CruiseAtlanta GA

Patrick R Byrne CLUMPB Travel Service IncBuffalo NY

Robert DurantWD World TravelVancouver BC CANADA

Lila A Ford CTC DS ACCVan Zile Travel ServiceWebster NY

Dan Lanser CTCA Plus Travel AdventuresUniontown OH

John I Lovell CTCBreton Village Travel Services IncGrand Rapids MI

Karl E RosenTowne Centre Travel amp CruisesDiamond Bar CA

Irene C Ross CTCRoss Travel Consultants IncBoston MA

Kari C Thomas CTC CNSWill Travel IncLanghorne PA

Lee Thomas CTCThe Travel AuthorityTTA IncJeffersonville IN

Carol L WagnerTravel PlusTravel LeadersCommerce Township MI

20 092010 CH A P T ER PRE SIDEN TS COUNCIL

ARIZONA Laura Rodriguez-VerberaMarina Tours And Travel Arizona LLCPhoenix AZ

CAROLINAS Janice Adkins CTCBrevard Travel Agency IncBrevard NC

CENTRAL amp N FLORIDA Bob C RobarTravel Centre of Gainesville IncGainesville FL

CENTRAL ATLANTIC Larry D Swerdlin CTCBurton Travel LtdOwings Mills MD

DELAWARE VALLEY Donna W ThomasNew Zealand Travel IncLanghorne PA

GREAT LAKES John I Lovell CTCBreton Village Travel Services IncGrand Rapids MI

HAWAII Raymond MiyashiroRegal TravelHonolulu HI

LONG ISLAND Steve PowersHidden Treasure ToursLong Beach NY

MID-AMERICA Christie A SeddelmeyerSeddelmeyer Travel ConceptsLima OH

MIDWEST Joanne Gardner CTCThe Travel SpecialistWheaton IL

MISSOURI VALLEY Nora Faifer CTCHeritage Travel IncSaint Louis MO

N CALIFORNIA Scott PinheiroSanta Cruz Travel IncSanta Cruz CA

NEW ENGLAND Mike Spinelli JrVacationcomWindham NH

NEW JERSEY Ricky J Ardis ACC CTAArdis TravelEast Rutherford NJ

NEW YORK CITY Alice TillemHillside TravelHicksville NY

ORANGE COUNTY Karl E RosenTowne Centre Travel amp CruisesDiamond Bar CA

PACIFIC NW Alex Trettin CTATravel LeadersTravel CenterTacoma WA

PUERTO RICOVI Daphne BarbeitoCruceros To GoGuaynabo PR

ROCKY MTN Joann ThompsonWorldwide Travel SpecialistsAurora CO

S CALIFORNIA Daniel GenungHarr Enterprises TravelRedlands CA

SAN DIEGO Merris Gold-DrewFirst Class TravelSan Diego CA

SOUTH FLORIDA David Gedansky CHATravel LeadersPembroke Pines FL

SOUTHEAST Susan H Aft ACCDiscount Travel and CruiseAtlanta GA

SOUTHWEST Frances A Lindsey CTC ACCOasis TravelPalestine TX

UPPER MIDWEST Wendy Weigel AAA Travel AgencyAAA MinneapolisMinneapolis MN

UPSTATE NY Robert E EndresEndres TravelEast Aurora NY

5

6

IN T ERN AT ION A L CH A P T ER PRE S IDEN TS COUNCIL

BHUTAN Tashi DorjiBhutan Nyinzer ExpeditionsThimphu

BRAZIL Robert PhillipsDiscoverBrazilIntelligent Leisure SolutionsSalvador Bahia

BULGARIA Evgeniya DonevaAlexander TourSofia

CAMBODIA Tui Pakarate RuttenFirst TravelPhnom Penh

CANADA Robert DurantWD World TravelVancouver BC

CHILE Adrian R TurnerDarwinrsquos TrailsVina Del Mar

CHINA Chen YongChina International Travel ServiceNanjing

EGYPT Mamdouh El SebaiEgitalloyd TravelCairo

GHANA Teye DokuRylax Travel and Tours LtdAccra

INDIA Rajeev KohliCreative Travel Private LtdNew Delhi

ITALY Rose MagersArtviva The Original and Best Tours ItalyFlorence

JORDAN Nasser A ZaatarahZaatarah amp Co Tourist amp TravelAmman

KENYA Joshua NyieraAcacia Holidays LimitedNairobi

KUWAIT Naser Rezqalla BSc MBAAl Qasr Travel amp Tourism CoHawally

MALDIVESYoosuf RiffathCapital Travel amp Tours Pvt LtdMale

NEPAL Harish MabohangOrion Travel P LtdKathmandu

NETHERLANDS Mustafa ArikanTravelalongHeiloo

NIGERIA Damilola BademosiLucan TravelsLagos

PERU Miguel Angel LahuraViajes Pentagrama SALima

PHILIPPINES Victor S LimlinganCristina Travel CorporationManila

POLAND Magdalena RoslaTravel Agency MagellanBydgoszcz

ROMANIA Petre BalasPeter ExpressBucharest

SAUDI ARABIA Fayyaz H Siddiqui CTAHajeej Travel Tours amp Umrah ServicesJeddah

SINGAPORE Cathy ThangGreen Island Tours (S) Pte LtdSingapore

SOUTH AFRICA Jo SchuttenUni Travel (PTY) LtdCape Town

SRI LANKA Raju ArasaratnamJetwing Travels (Pvt) LimitedColombo

TANZANIA Faiza PunjaWinglink Travel LimitedDar es Salaam

TURKEY Ertugrul KaraogluIntra Tourism-Incoming amp IncentivesIstanbul

UNITED KINGDOM Kenneth F McNabThe Travel Company EdinburghEdinburgh

6

7

The economy was on everyonersquos mind as 2009

began overshadowed temporarily by the inaugu-

ration of the 44th president of the United States

Even before the January inaugural event ASTA

and other industry groups were quick to get in

front of the incumbent administrationrsquos transition

team with the submission of seven recommenda-

tions stemming from a prior travel and tourism

sector economic summit Several elements sub-

mitted by ASTA were included in the proposal

including the restoration of a 2001 Small Business

Administration (SBA) direct low-interest rate loan

program and the creation of an investment tax

credit program for small businesses that invest in

information-related technologies The latter mea-

sure was deemed by ASTA as crucial for travel

agencies to compete effectively in the years ahead

Throughout the first several months of 2009

ASTA saw positive signs for the economy in the

release of a draft stimulus bill that included provi-

sions designed to create small business opportu-

nity a topic that would continue to be a focus for

the Society over the course of the year

ASTA continued to help its members develop suc-

cessful businesses with a Webinar instructing

travel agents on the use of the Travel Agent Management Toolkit a benefit geared to help-

ing members strengthen their businesses during

difficult economic times This Webinar the first

of the year would be followed by six others over

the course of the coming three months all edu-

cating members on such topics as Advantages of

Going Green Dealing with Consumer Complaints

Search Engine Optimization 101 for Travel Agents

Strategies You Can Implement Immediately to

Start Growing Your Business Again First Steps

in Mastering Financial Data and Card Mills and

Your CommunitymdashA Grassroots Approach

Those members looking for more personal

communication were quick to join ASTArsquos LinkedIn group when it launched in March There

suppliers and travel agents alike were able to

solicit advice and information from their peers

and catch up on the latest news from ASTA while

fostering business connections with both domestic

and international members

Just weeks in to the new year travel agents

received some good news with the announcement

from Regent Seven Seas that it would end most

non-commissionable fees in 2010 an action ASTA

was quick to praise ASTA also had its eye on the

airline industry when it called upon the Depart-

ment of Transportation to complete its work on

the Tarmac Delay Task Force ASTA would go on

to commend the Airlines Reporting Corp (ARC)

for its announcement that it was dropping its plan

to reduce the airline ticket void window from two

days to the day of ticketing ASTA then took Delta

Airlines to task for its refusal to engage the Soci-

ety over invoices sent to travel agents for violations

caused by Deltarsquos own system

February found ASTA Premium Members in San

Francisco where they met to discuss among other

topics ways to improve travel agenciesrsquo relation-

1S T Q u a r t e r

in

8

ship with ARC While in San Francisco Premium

members also heard from suppliers about how they

see their travel agent relationships developing in

the future While at the meeting John Rose of

Marathon Travel (Stevens Point Wis) noted that

ldquoASTArsquos Premium Membership has become a vital

resource that enables us to be more than specta-

tors to the current economic turmoil but active

participants in the decisions and policy changes

that impact our businessrdquo

Travel agents looking to get more from their

membership or simply learn how to make better

use of the hundreds of tools available to them on

ASTAorg found themselves with 17 online tutorials from which to choose These brief

step-by-step video instructions covered everything

from uploading a personal profile to ASTArsquos consumer Web site TravelSenseorg and tak-

ing advantage of the free consumer leads service

housed there to using ASTArsquos WebExchange and

making use of ASTArsquos online media and public re-

lations resources to better promote themselves and

their services to their communities This popular

Web site continued to grow and received more

than 50000 unique visitors in January alone

And thanks to a series of enhancements the site

became more interactive for visitors who were then

able to rate and review various publications and

online tools

Members also benefitted from two white papers

The first provided them with a Travel Agentrsquos Guide to Secure Flight designed to assist

members in learning more about the new Trans-

portation Security Administration (TSA) regula-

tions and specifically how to best comply with the

new data collection requirements A month later

and just in time for taxes ASTA explained the nu-

ances of deductible business expenses with the

white paper Navigating the Tax Labyrinth

Technology was in the forefront of ASTArsquos research

when the 2008 Technology and Web Usage Re-port found that although travel agencies have

yet to embrace Web 20 marketing techniques

standard technology has become second nature

to travel agents The 2008 Global Distribu-tion System Report (GDS) went on to examine

travel agent usage of GDSs providing agencies

with valuable benchmarking data The 2009 ASTA

Agency Profile report found a significant increase

over time in the number of agencies with sales

of either less than $1 million or greater than $10

million a trend that would continue as struggling

agencies merged or were bought by larger travel

firms Correspondingly the percentage of agencies

located on ldquoMain Streetrdquo and in strip malls de-

creased as travel agencies gave up their storefronts

in exchange for home-based business models

In March travel professionals from far and near gath-

ered in Sun City South Africa for ASTArsquos fourth In-

ternational Destination Expo (IDE) where more than

1000 travel professionals from 29 countries gathered

to learn about the culture attractions and travel busi-

ness of South Africa and its neighboring countries

The sold-out trade show was just one of many firsts

that marked the annual event not the least of which

was the eventrsquos debut on the African continent

It would also be the first time that a local travel

trade association would hold its annual meeting

in conjunction with the event the Association

of South Africa Travel Agents hosted its annual

conference for 2009 at Sun City In addition to

high-caliber education courses the IDE provided

attendees the rare opportunity to network with

smaller tourism entities from across South Africa

9

thanks to an event hosted by the South African

International Business Linkages program and the

Tourism Enterprise Programme

Many of the agents who took advantage of the

numerous educational seminars on offer returned

home as FUNDI (South African destination

course) Botswana and Namibia specialists and

with new-found expertise in such niches as spa

and wine travel The annual International Travel

Agents Summit held in conjunction with the IDE

brought together attendees to establish key busi-

ness contacts and to discuss issues of importance

to global travel sellers The 2009 IDE closed with

the announcement that Istanbul Turkey would be

host to the 2010 International Destination Expo

April 19-22

While in Sun City ASTArsquos Board of Directors was

updated on ASTArsquos efforts in the areas of member-

ship meetings industry and government affairs

and consumer awareness During their meeting

the Board requested that ASTA staff develop

education materials that will assist travel agents

in sales and marketing and reinforcing their value

proposition when dealing with customers

ASTArsquos successes were brought to the forefront

during the first three months of 2009 through a

series of editorials and articles appearing in the

travel trade press Topics ran the gamut from

ASTArsquos Green Member program and various

research reports to the International Destination

Expo and ASTArsquos efforts on Capitol Hill and in

the state legislatures to protect travel agents from

harmful legislation and anti-travel taxes ASTA

President and Chair Chris Russo continued to pro-

mote the Society and its efforts on behalf of travel

agents at chapters across the country providing

those in attendance with an overview of the many

benefits associated with their membership as well

as an in-depth look at the tools available to mem-

bers on ASTAorg Overseas ASTA CEO William

Maloney CTC addressed tourism officials at the

Jamaica Tourism Outlook Summit on the new face

of the travel agent

Consumers were made aware of the importance

of using a professional ASTA travel consultant

through a series of media pitches and releases

showcasing a variety of travel tips hot travel desti-

nations and the growing interest in ldquogreenrdquo travel

Thanks to a new partnership with CityBy-

City visitors to ASTArsquos consumer Web site TravelSenseorg were able to watch video tours of

some of Europersquos hottest capital cities as well as

state parks across the United States Meanwhile

TravelSensersquos Find a Travel Agent Directory along

with articles offering travel tips and advice began

to be featured regularly on the International Busi-

ness Journal

10

April was a busy month for ASTA with the launch

of a new business solutions tool for members The

multi-media Travel Agency Consultancy Fee course was written by noted industry expert

Nolan Burris and based on insights from ASTA

agency research and consumer research from Bur-

risrsquo company Future Proof Travel Solutions The

result was a course that laid out in plain terms

steps agents could take to transform themselves

from a commission-based to a consulting-fee busi-

ness model and the reasons why such a change is

critical to an agencyrsquos long-term viability

April also found travel agents participating in

Webinars covering topics such as new US bor-

der security requirements use of ASTArsquos Buyerrsquos

Guide and the myriad ways in which ASTA can

help travel agents grow their businesses Premium

Members were able to benefit from an exclusive

Webinar which provided them with the latest on

implementation plans for Secure Flight

On Capitol Hill ASTA continued its lobbying ef-

forts working to promote a direct lending program

for small businesses in the wake of Karen Gordon

Millrsquos appointment as SBA Administrator ASTA

also came out in strong support of a bill introduced

by Representatives Frank Kratovil (D-MD) and

Chris Lee (R-NY) that would expand the maxi-

mum allowable federal tax deduction for business

startup expenses Meanwhile before the Depart-

ment of Transportation ASTA decried a proposed

grant of immunity for the Star Alliance saying

that ldquo(i)f finalized this broad grant of immunity

could be used to undermine independent travel

distributors which are critical to promoting airline

competition and consumer welfarerdquo

Florida received ASTArsquos praise when a US Dis-

trict Court judge permanently barred the state

from enforcing a law that would have imposed

exorbitant bonding and registration fees on travel

agents who booked trips to any nation designated

by the State Department as a state sponsor of ter-

rorism namely Iran Syria Cuba and Sudan

ASTArsquos sister organization in Canada the Associa-

tion of Canadian Travel Agents met with ASTArsquos

senior staff to discuss areas of common interest

and determine what resources might be combined

for the greater good of both association member-

ships and the industry as a whole

May found ASTA members on the receiving end of

the 2008 Financial Travel Benchmarking Report which gave agencies the ability to compare

their businesses to industry benchmarks such as

agent productivity revenue versus sales operat-

ing expenses and FTE ratios ASTA also held its

first Virtual Business Conference designed to help

ASTArsquos core membershipmdashtravel agentsmdashutilize

the many resources at their disposal in creating

successful agencies in a challenging economic

climate The online conference covered the topics of

branding upgrading to a fee-based business model

and what community resources are available to

2 n d Q u a r t e r

11

small-business owners courtesy of groups such as

SCORE and the SBA

Also in May ASTA unveiled its latest education

course Boosting Your Leisure Sales which was

designed to provide travel agents with simple

proven techniques for counteracting the effects of

the economic downturn and increasing their busi-

ness Although geared to leisure-based agencies

the course included a section specifically targeting

corporate agents who also sell leisure

That same quarter ASTA came out in strong sup-

port of the Landrieu-Snowe Amendment to the

Credit CARD Act of 2009 (HR 627S 414) which

would guarantee that the safeguards codified by

the billmdash limits on interest rate increases and more

transparent disclosure of fees mdashwould apply to the

cards used by Americarsquos small-business owners

ASTA continued to fight for travel agents when

ASTA President and Chair Chris Russo wrote Sen

Chris Dodd (D-CT) the chairman of the Senate

Banking Committee to request that the Senatersquos

version of HR 627 include protection for small

business owners who use credit cards to finance

business-related purchases

ASTA continued with its mission of ldquoone voicerdquo

becoming an industry clearinghouse for informa-

tion on the resurging H1N1 virus ASTA worked

closely with the Centers for Disease Control as well

as the Tourism Emergency Response Network of

which ASTA is a member to disseminate up-to-

date travel alerts

In June ASTA unveiled the results of its ground-

breaking study the US Packaged Travel Landscape 2006-2010 This report conducted

in conjunction with the noted industry research

firm PhoCusWright was the first of its kind and

provided groundbreaking insight into the size and

scope of the US tour industry a major source of

commissions for travel agents Specifically the

study looked at threats to the tour operator in-

dustry and strategic responses tour operators and

travel agents could implement Distribution pat-

terns including the role of consumer-direct versus

travel agents were also examined ldquoUltimately it

will help travel agents understand the demograph-

ics and dimension of the tour industry and help

tour operators drive smarter marketing decisions

and strategiesrdquo said ASTA President and Chair

Chris Russo A Webinar based on the findings was

presented to members of ASTArsquos Tour Operator

Program providing them with first-hand analysis

of the results

The start of summer also brought with it the

second part of a Webinar on search engine optimi-

zation as well as a Webinar updating members on

Secure Flight Meanwhile ASTArsquos Chapter Presi-

dents Council met to discuss ways to strengthen

the chapter structure and provide increased ben-

efits to members at the local level

ASTA made sure that the value of using a travel

agent was in the forefront of consumersrsquo minds

with an ongoing series of tips providing advice

on planning honeymoons and family getaways

spotting travel scams and ways to save on sum-

mer travel ASTArsquos annual summer travel lsquohot

spotsrsquo survey found that Orlando and Las Vegas

were again favorites among travelers booking with

travel agents

ASTA members interested in promoting them-

selves to their local communities sat in on the May

Webinar Making Headlines Getting Your Name in Print Participants learned about working

with media and drafting press releases and re-

12

ceived useful tips on conducting media interviews

Not soon after a customizable press release ex-

plaining the many reasons consumers should book

their next vacation with an ASTA travel agent

was made available for members to send to their

local media Continuing its expansion into social

networking ASTA launched the TravelSense Facebook Fan page in April providing ASTA

members and those who just love to travel a forum

in which to share tips and advice and comment on

travel-related stories

ASTA members were also provided a new weapon

in the fight against Chambers of Commerce that

sell travel in direct competition with its membersmdash

a customizable public relations plan In ad-

dition to step-by-step instructions the plan

included a customizable press release letters to

the editor Chamber and local government officials

along with a fact sheet and talking points for use

when speaking with members of the media or gov-

ernment officials

ASTAorg houses over 50 informative videos available 247 wwwASTAorgvideos

12

13

With the nation in the midst of a deepening reces-

sion many corporate and leisure travel profes-

sionals found themselves struggling to stay afloat

Business travel was severely curtailed as orga-

nizations slashed expenses and sought low-cost

alternatives to face-to-face meetings Meanwhile

many American families either scaled back on the

traditional summer vacation or opted instead for a

ldquostaycationrdquo

With the summer barely begun travel agents found themselves on the firing line from

United Airlines which sought to cut off a select

group of travel agents from using its merchant ac-

count for credit card ticket sales Instead agencies

would be forced to obtain and use their own mer-

chant accounts and settle with the airline in cash

ASTA immediately moved into action calling for

a Congressional hearing to examine the issue and

the negative impact it would have on consumers

and the travel industry as a whole

Soon after Unitedrsquos announcement Southwest and

Continental Airlines came out with assurances

that they would not follow suit statements which

received praise from ASTA and its allies the Busi-

ness Travel Coalition (BTC) the Interactive Travel

Services Alliance (ITSA) and the National Tour

Association (NTA)

In a statement ASTA President and Chair Chris

Russo said ldquoTravel agents have been looking for

some sign that the consumer and travel agency

problems created by the pass-through policy are un-

derstood and it seems to us that these two industry

leaders lsquoget itrsquordquo Throughout the remainder of the

summer and into the fall ASTA and its allies would

work behind the scenes toward securing legislative

support to block UArsquos attempts to pass merchant

fees along to travel agents and the traveling public

Over the course of the summer ASTArsquos efforts gar-

nered the attention of key legislators from Hawaii

to Maine Hard work on the part of ASTArsquos Gov-

ernment Affairs staff translated to frequent and

detailed contact with legislators and committee staff

on Capitol Hill during which time they outlined the

scope of what a hearing on this issue would encom-

pass

The Society ramped up its push to see that Unitedrsquos

proposed actions went no further through mem-

ber education grassroots legislative contacts from

ASTA members during the August recess direct

outreach with elected officials and a successful

Capitol Hill press conference in September which

garnered coverage in such publications as USA

Today Christian Science Monitor CNNMoneycom

Business Week Wall Street Journal Bloomberg

and the Washington Post The diligent work on the

part of ASTA members and staff went a long way

to educating Members of Congress to the fact that

Unitedrsquos merchant fee policy would pose a grave

threat to the travel industry that if left unchecked

would expose millions of travel agency customers to

significant risks and higher costs

3 r d Q u a r t e r

14

When not hard at work in the halls of Congress

ASTA developed numerous business resources

for membersrsquo use until the economy was again on

stable ground Among them were Webinars such

as Federal Loan Assistance for Travel Agents

Nuts and Bolts of Agency Acquisitions in 2009

Along with two research reportsmdash

2008 Travel Agency Service Fees Report 2008 Labor amp Compensation Report Both white papers provided members with

benchmarking data they could use to determine

their position relative to the competition and what

measures they might undertake to further their

agencyrsquos growth ASTA also would release its

2008 Marketing amp Customer Retention Report which in addition to offering benchmarking

data for customer leads provided insight on how

ASTArsquos agency members retain their clients and

what marketing tools have proven the most effec-

tive

Educating members on new and innovative ways to

market themselves was a focus over the summer

ASTA members were able to take part in several

webinars such as the Top 10 Ways to Make Your Site a Consumer Magnet which exam-

ined search engine optimization and other means

through which travel agents could increase Web

site views And for those looking beyond tradition-

al marketing efforts ASTA presented a Webinar

that gave the inside track on utilizing social media

to expand a firmrsquos market reach

ASTA released a series of travel tips proving

advice on traveling with children among other

topics And with summer travel reaching its peak ASTA sponsored a Public Service Announce-ment (PSA) advising travelers of the Trans-

portation Security Administrationrsquos 3-1-1 rules

for taking liquids and gels on flights in carry-on

luggage

In July with summer in full swing ASTA mem-

bers elected to the Board of Directors national

directors-at-large Patrick Byrne Dan Lanser

Nina Meyer CTC Irene Ross CTC and Hope Wal-

lace CTC Lila Ford CTC DS Chris Russo Kari

Thomas CTC CNS and Carol Wagner would fin-

ish out the final year of their terms A month later

during the Societyrsquos first virtual Board meeting

Chris Russo was re-elected to serve as President

and Chair with Hope Wallace CTC returning

for a second term as Vice PresidentSecretary

Treasurer Nina Meyer CTC Ellen Bettridge

(American Express) CAC member-at large and

ASTA CEO Bill Maloney CTC (ex officio) rounded

out the Executive Committee The full 2009-2010

ASTA Board of Directors would consist of the

Executive Committee and the domestic national

directors-at-large along with CAC representatives

Lee Thomas (The Travel Authority) International

Chapter Presidents Council Chair Robert Durant

and Chapter Presidents Council Chair John Lovell

(Great Lakes Chapter) and chapter presidents

Susan Aft (Southeast Chapter) and Karl Rosen

(Orange County Chapter)

That same month ASTA wrote to the Congressio-

nal sponsors of then-pending legislation to reau-

thorize the Federal Aviation Administration on so-called ldquoback-to-gaterdquo time limits for delayed

passenger flights requesting that Congress es-

tablish a clearly-defined time limit beyond which

passengers who have been subjected to lengthy on-

board tarmac delays must be permitted to return

to the gate and exit the delayed aircraft In its

letter ASTA wrote ldquoIn the face of continuing de-

lays and the evident lack of concrete efforts on the

15

part of the airlines to create a meaningful solution

thereto and absent a robust reporting mechanism

that would compel airlines and airports to report

back to the Department of Transportation on their

actual progress in implementing the recommen-

dations hellip we see little hope for real progress in

this area without further action from Congress

hellip [W]e respectfully ask that you establish a clear

standard for the airlines to follow A Congressio-

nally-defined standard will not in itself solve the

inexorable problem of chronic flight delays but

it will surely represent an improvement over the

current system in which people are trapped on

planes without adequate supplies for hours on

endrdquo ASTArsquos objections did not fall on deaf ears

and back-to-gate limits were established

Because in todayrsquos world of electronic commerce

travel agencies are bound not only by the laws of

the states in which they operate but of the states

in which they advertise and have clients ASTA

developed a tool for Premium members providing

in-depth information on the seller of travel laws in

17 states including the District of Columbia This

four-part package included the white paper

Commerce Clause Analysis of State Seller of Travel Laws a visual overview of the various laws

and where they intersect a series of fact sheets

summarizing each of the statesrsquo seller of travel

laws and sample disclosure language required for

compliance with Californiarsquos Seller of Travel Law

ASTA also produced a white paper exclusively for

Premium members explaining the nuances of the

Airlines Reporting Corprsquos Electronic Miscella-neous Document and Carrier Fees Project

Premium members were also able to take advantage of several exclusive Webinars the

first produced by noted industry legal expert Mark

Pestronk who provided an in-depth look at the se-

rious issue of outside sales fraud and mechanisms

for preventing fraudulent activity by independent

sales contractors Later that summer Premium

members received a detailed look at the numerous

resources ASTA has developed to help them pro-

tect their businesses

Members interested in taking a more active role

in shaping government laws and regulations took

part in a Webinar in August which focused on grassroots lobbying and provided participants

with easy-to ndashimplement steps and advice for

making their voices heard at the state and federal

levels

The question of taxes came to a head as summer

ended when New York City announced a hotel occupancy service fee tax ASTA working

closely with ITSA and officials from New York

Cityrsquos Department of Finance (DOF) was able

to provide members with confirmation that com-

missions ldquoconciergerdquo fees and service fees on rent

paid by guest directly to hotel were excluded from

taxation under the new law Members also received

clarification regarding the geographic and general

scope of the tax and the ways in which the tax

would be applied to the bundling and packaging of

travel components

North Americarsquos number one travel show THETRADESHOW took place in Las Vegas in

early September and brought together thousands

of industry professionals for the purpose of educa-

tion and networking The show debuted a seminar

track exclusively for travel suppliers and exhibi-

tors providing them with new and improved ways

of increasing their market share whether through

enhanced relationships with travel agents or tips

16

on new geographic markets The networking op-

portunities for suppliers were furthered with the

National Tourist Offices (NTO) Summit with pro-

vided NTOs an environment to discuss best mar-

keting practices and an evening reception solely

for exhibitors

Another first was the Hosted Buyer program

whereby select agents had the opportunity to be

hosted by a THETRADESHOW partner such as

WynnEncore Amtrak Hilton or Starwood This

program positioned THETRADESHOW as one of

the elite travel trade shows bringing together sup-

pliers with highly qualified travel buyers

The International Business summit provided a

forum for international travel professionals to meet

one-on-one and discuss global travel industry is-

sues The group was given a preview of educational

and networking events of interest going on over

the course of the three-day event and provided

attendees with the opportunity to establish a close

rapport with their fellow international delegates

ASTA members interested in learning more about

promoting themselves to the media were able to

participate in a media training session held at this

yearrsquos THETRADESHOW which covered every-

thing from the basics of drafting and disseminat-

ing press releases to advice for media interviews A

TV production crew was also on-hand to interview

ASTA members for travel segments that would ap-

pear throughout the coming year on the cable pro-

grams Inside Business with Fred Thompson and

the Art of Living with MariLu Henner All told 10

ASTA members were interviewed on such topics as

travel trends corporate and leisure travel green

travel personalized service traveling on a budget

multi-generational travel villas and private home

rental and luxury travel

During its annual meeting at THETRADESHOW

ASTA presented its 2009 Travel Industry Awards

bull Allied Member of the Year Award Cynthia

Perry CTC vice president of sales and indus-

try relations Travel Insured International

bull Travel Agent of the Year Mary Louise Seifert

CTC owner Welcome Aboard Vacation Center

Inc (Scottsdale AZ)

bull Travel Hall of Fame U Gary Charlwood

founder Charlwood Pacific Group and

bull Young Professional Jason Beukema MCC

president and owner Whet Travel (Miami

Beach Fla)

ASTA also held its annual Advocacy Dinner an

evening during which speakers and special guests

celebrated ASTArsquos value in shaping political poli-

cies affecting the business of selling travel During

this event ASTA member Olga Ramudo received

ITSArsquos Barbara OrsquoHara Advocacy Award for her

leadership role in the fight against United Airlines

merchant fees policy Ramudo was an outspoken

critic of the fee shift and participated in an event

for media in Washington DC Las Vegas was also

the location for a Premium Member Business Sum-

mit in which ASTArsquos Premium Members again

gathered to share their business insights and hear

from industry leaders on the state-of-play within

the travel sector

At ASTArsquos annual meeting ASTArsquos CEO Bill Malo-

ney and President and Chair Chris Russo provided

17

ASTA is doing more for its members than at

any time I can remember Its lobbying efforts

are finding a toehold in Congress Its educa-

tion programs are engaging and relevant

[ASTA President Chris Russorsquos speech at

the annual meeting] as well as those of Bill

Maloney CEO and Paul Ruden senior vice

president of legal and industry affairs repre-

sented more activity and impact in the past

12 months than in any other one-year period

I can recall in the last 20 years

mdashTRAVEL WEEKLY MAGAZINE

Travel agents need ASTA to provide forceful

representation in Washington DC and to

defend travel agents from punitive regulation

and taxation From SBA business loans to

IRS defining what is or is not an independent

contractor the industry needs the ability to

know what is happening and to be able to

muster the expertise and legislative skills es-

sential to survival

mdashTRAVEL AGENT MAGAZINE

members with updates on the

Societyrsquos numerous actions

on their behalf over the pre-

vious year Their addresses

spotlighted everything from

legislative and industry efforts

on behalf of travel agents to

consumer awareness initia-

tives promoting the value of

working with a professional

travel consultant to consum-

ers These speeches prompted

Travel Agent and Travel

Weekly publications to praise

ASTA for its efforts on behalf

of members in recent years

17

18

Kicking off the fourth quarter of the year ASTA

and The Weather Channel entered into an agree-

ment to feature content from the consumer Web

site TravelSenseorg on Weathercom Each article

not only promotes the value of working with a

professional ASTA travel agent but links back to

TravelSenseorg and its lsquoFind a Travel Agentrsquo directory

With the holiday travel season fast approach-

ing ASTA released a series of consumer-oriented

releases providing tips on holiday travel planning

family reunions travel during an airline strike

and for women traveling alone ASTA also revealed

its consumer travel forecast for 2010 the ASTA Travel Agency Business Trends survey found

that consumer interest in cruises would remain

high for the upcoming winter and spring travel

seasons with the Caribbean and Mexico topping

the destination charts for winter travel and spring

finding US travelers heading to the Caribbean

and Europe

ASTArsquos daily news roundup ASTA SmartBrief ended the year with close to 29500 readers

from around the world while the TSA 3-1-1 public

service announcement released earlier in the year

was aired on an estimated 624 stations across

with country with more than 102 million audience

impressions By year-end ASTA has five Twitter

accounts updating followers on everything from

ASTArsquos legislative efforts to TOP promotions and

THETRADESHOW ASTA had also increased its

presence on Facebook featuring additional fan

pages for ASTArsquos Young Professional Society and ASTAnetwork magazine LinkedIn was also

home to four networking groups all related to

ASTA

ASTA again had a presence at the World Travel

Market in London where in addition to an exhibi-

tion booth ASTA CEO Bill Maloney CTC spoke

before international travel agents and tour opera-

tors In his speech he revealed findings from AS-

TArsquos recent US Package Travel Industry Survey

and discussed lessons international tour operators

might use to better understand their US competi-

tion and make sound marketing decisions and

strategies when dealing with US travel agents

In November at the joint meeting of ASTArsquos Board

of Directors and Chapter Presidents Council Puerto

Rico was chosen as the host of the 2011 International

Destination Expo The Board also adopted new

International Chapter Standards establishing rules

governing International Chapter fundraising as well

dues collections and financial record keeping and

reporting The move unified ASTArsquos international

chapter policies allowing for greater engagement

with international members and the expansion of

international membership The Board also endorsed

a new micro-fundraising initiative from the Mil-lennium FoundationmdashMASSIVEGOODmdashwhereby

consumers through a donation of $2 at the time of

purchase can work to stamp out HIVAIDS malaria

and tuberculosis in developing nations

4 t h Q u a r t e r

19

At home ASTA members were able to take advan-

tage of webinars targeting ASTArsquos Tour Operator

Program as well those which offered members

ways to bullet-proof their business and an in-depth

look at ASTArsquos efforts in the areas of government

and industry affairs International members

meanwhile took part in an exclusive Webinar

providing tips on growing relationships with US-

based travel agents and tour operators Thanks

to the Webinar Using ESOPs for Succession Planning and Business Sales ASTA Premium

members were able to learn the ins and outs of

employee stock ownership and how privately held

companies can use them to arrange either for a

tax-free sale of their business or for a tax-free

diversification of their wealth

With the year coming to a close ASTA released a

series of valuable research reports providing mem-

bers with the 2009 ASTA Travel Agency Business Trends Report the 2009 NACTA Independent Agents Report and the 2009 Supplier-Travel

Agent Relationship Marketing Report which ex-

amined the rationale behind selecting a preferred

supplier among other issues Those looking for

more in-depth information on inbound and out-

bound travel trends availed themselves of the data

found in ASTArsquos two international travel studiesmdash

Non-resident Inbound Visitations Trends Overview

and the US Resident Outbound Visitations Trend

Overview The white paper Using Census Bu-reau Statistics for Market Segmentation which

explained the ways in which travel agents could

use Census Bureau data to enhance their market-

ing was also made available

On Capitol Hill ASTA praised a House action to

accelerate credit card reforms that would extend

protections for small businesses While urging

Congress to finish its work on the bill ASTA called

on the Senate to ensure that the billrsquos protections

apply to small business owners who rely on credit

cards to finance their business needs ldquoAs travel

agents and other small-business owners continue

to face difficulty in obtaining credit on reasonable

terms from traditional lending sources parallel

credit sources such as credit cards are more impor-

tant than everrdquo said Chris Russo ASTA president

and chair ASTA was one of 17 organizations to

endorse a bipartisan amendment by Reps Neil Ab-

ercrombie (D-HI) and Nita Lowey (D-CA) to apply

Truth in Lending Act (TILA) protections to small

business credit card transactions an amendment

that was not included in the final version of the

bill however

Meanwhile the fight against Unitedrsquos attempt

to shift its merchant fees onto travel agents and

consumers continued into the last months of 2009

with ASTA continuing to exert pressure for law-

makers to hold a Congressional hearing on the is-

sue At year end the UA merchant fee shift policy

remained a limited move applied to 28 agency

locations while ASTA continued its work on Capi-

tol Hill and elsewhere to assure that agency and

consumer interests in this matter are recognized

and protected

20

L O O K I N G A H E A D

As a pivotal election year 2010 is sure to be

marked by dramatic change in our countryrsquos politi-

cal and business landscape Relations between the

White House and Congress have soured throwing

the fate of the Obama Administrationrsquos first-term

agenda into disarray Major items remain on the

Congressional lsquoto-dorsquo list including a climate

change bill comprehensive immigration reform

and long-overdue reforms to the financial markets

A number of factors are responsible for these de-

lays including ongoing partisan gridlock strug-

gles between the House and Senate leadership for

control over the legislative calendar and Congres-

sional procedure voter unrest due to the lingering

recession and even the weather All indications

are that the rest of 2010 will see a scaled-back

agenda compared to what appeared likely in early

2009 The stalled agenda may be cause for either

relief or dismay depending on your political per-

spective The good news however is that the travel

agency industry has several key opportunities to

influence the political process in 2010

This year has already seen the introduction of leg-

islation at the state level to apply hotel occupancy

taxes to travel agent service fees ASTA remains

on the front lines of this issue and is diligently

working with its industry allies to prevent these

burdensome taxes from becoming law The good

news is that ASTA has a record of success in ral-

lying individual travel agents to weigh in directly

with elected officials to explain how this law would

affect their business We hope to continue this suc-

cess in 2010

Finally ASTA is working to grow its Political

Action Committee ASTAPAC By bundling indi-

vidual political contributions to build relationships

with candidates for federal office this important

tool allows travel agentsrsquo collective voice to stand

out among the multitude of interests competing for

lawmakersrsquo attention

As is the case every year 2010 offers both signifi-

cant risks and real opportunities for the travel

agency industry Be assured that ASTA staff is

working for you every day

21

A S T A P R E M I U M M E M B E R S

A amp I Travel Service Inc Memphis TNAAA Allied Group Inc Cincinnati OHAAA Hoosier Motor Club Indianapolis INAAA Minneapolis Minneapolis MNABC International Travel Rosemont ILADA Travel Casa Grande AZADTRAV Travel Management Birmingham ALAladdin Travel amp Meeting Planners Winston

Salem NCAlamo Travel San Antonio TXAll About Travel Inc Mission KSAll About Travel Inc Tucson AZAll Direct Travel Services Irvine CAAll Seasons Travel Agency Inc

Birmingham ALAll Travel Los Angeles CAAllied Tour amp Travel Norfolk NEAltour New York NYAmerican Express Retail Travel Network New

York NYATP International USA New Haven CTAvia International Travel The Woodlands TXAzumano Travel ServiceAmerican Express

Portland ORBCD Travel Atlanta GABest Travel Inc Chicago ILBlue Ribbon Business Travel International

Edina MNBon Voyage Cruise amp Vacations Inc

Waterford WIBranson Tourism Center Branson MOBrea TravelAmerican Express Brea CABreton Village Travel Services Inc Grand

Rapids MIBroad Travel Solutions New York NYBrownell Travel Inc Birmingham ALBursch TravelAmerican Express

Alexandria MNCanyon Creek Travel Richardson TXCardoza Travel Services Inc Palo Alto CACarlson Millstream Travel Inc Findlay OHCarrousel Travel American Express

Minneapolis MNCasto San Jose CACerritos Travel Inc Cerritos CACI TRAVEL Norfolk VACircles Boston MACME Tours Inc Phoenix AZCole Travel - American Express Lexington

Park MDColpitts World Travel Dedham MAColwick Travel Corporation Dallas TXCondado Travel Inc Hato Rey PRConlin Travel Inc Ann Arbor MICorporate Travel Solutions Minnetonka MNCrucon Cruise Outlet Plus Inc

Moultonborough NHCruiseOneCruises Inc Fort Lauderdale FLDesigns by Strawberry Inc Sauk Village ILEnsemble Travel New York NYExpedia Inc Bellevue WAExpress Travel Miami FL

Flathead Travel Service Inc Kalispell MTFlight Centre USA Inc Ramsey NJFlyBranson Travel LLC Hollister MOForest Lake Travel Columbia SCFox World Travel Inc Oshkosh WIFriendly Travel IncAmerican Express

Alexandria VAFrosch International Travel Houston TXGant Travel Management Itasca ILGateway Travel Service Farmington Hills MIGeraci Travel Fort Myers FLGlobal Custom Tours Vestavia ALGlobal Travel Boise IDHayes Executive Travel Services Inc

Dallas TXHena Turizm Seyahat Ve Organizasyon

Hizmetleri Ticaret L Istanbul Hess Corporate Travel Bountiful UTHickory Travel Systems Inc Saddle Brook NJHNL Travel Associates Honolulu HIHogg Robinson Group (HRG) Worldwide New

York NYHub Travel Center Inc Bedford Park ILHurley Travel Experts Inc Portland MEJauntee - Croatia Expert Travel Planning Paso

Robles CALeisure Travel Alliance Inc Austin TXMann TravelsAmerican Express Charlotte NCMansour Travel Company Beverly Hills CAMAST Vacation Partners Inc Oakbrook

Terrace ILMaupin Travel Inc Raleigh NCMcCabe World Travel Inc McLean VAMenno TravelAmerican Express Goshen INMerit Travel Group Inc Toronto ONMontrose Travel Montrose CAMSP Travel Group Inc Mendota Heights MNMundi TravelAmerican Express San Jose CANational Travel Service Charleston WVNexion Southlake TXOmega World Travel Fairfax VAOrbitz Worldwide Chicago ILOvation Travel Group New York NYPhoenicia Viajes Travel Group LLC Miami FLPlaza ToursViajes Plaza San Juan PRPlaza Travel Encino CAPoe Travel Little Rock ARPolk Majestic Travel Group Denver COpricelinecom Incorporated Norwalk CTProtravel International New York NYRadius Bethesda MDSan Diego Travel Group San Diego CASignal Travel and Tours Inc Niles MISignature Travel Network Marina del Rey CASky Bird Travel amp Tours Southfield MISTA Travel Lewisville TXSterling Travel Agency Inc Huntsville ALStrong Travel Services Inc Dallas TXTangerine Travel LTD Bothell WAThe Travel AuthorityTTA Inc

Jeffersonville INThe Travel Society LLC Denver CO

The Travel Team IncAmerican Express Buffalo NY

Travel and Transport Inc Omaha NETravel Counsellors Saddle Brook NJTravel Dynamics Group Inc La Jolla CATravel Guard Business Travel Services

Stevens Point WITravel Leaders Memphis TNTravel Leaders Fort Wayne INTravel Leaders Houston TXTravel Leaders Child TravelAlbany Travel

Colchester VTTravel Leaders Corporate Coral Gables FLTravel Leaders Franchise Group Eden Prairie

MNTravel Leaders Rowlett Myrtle Beach SCTravel LeadersTravel Plus Commerce

Township MITravel Management Corporation San Jose CATravel Planners International Inc

Maitland FLTravel Time Travel Agency Inc Lancaster PATravelfocus Dallas TXTravelinkAmerican Express Nashville TNTravelLeaders Golirsquos Avenues of Travel La

Crosse WITravelocity San Antonio TXTravel-On Ltd Beltsville MDTravelQuest Albertville MNTravelStore Los Angeles CATzell Travel New York NYUltramar Travel Management International

New York NYUni Travel (PTY) Ltd Cape Town Uniglobe Instant Travel Inc London ONUniglobe Travel International Irvine CAUniglobe Travel Partners Mount Arlington NJUniversalAccent Travel - American Express

New York NYVacationcom Alexandria VAValerie Wilson Travel Inc New York NYVanguard Travel Unlimited Golden

Valley MNViking Travel Service Westmont ILVirtuoso Fort Worth TXVision 2000 St-Laurent Wal-Mart Stores Inc Bentonville ARWayland Travel Inc Wayland MAWD World Travel Vancouver BCWilcox TravelAmerican Express

Asheville NCWillett Travel Studio City CAWilliamsburg Travel Management - AMEX

Atlanta GAWings Travel Group Blue Bell PAWorld Travel Bureau Inc Santa Ana CAWorldTravelService Washington DCWorldview Travel Santa Ana CAWright Travel Nashville TNYour Travel Center Inc Santa Barbara CA( Charter Premium Member)

22

A S T A P r o u d P a r t n e r s

A S T Arsquo s C o r p o r a t e A d v i s o r y C o u n c i l ( C A C )

ADTRAV Travel ManagementAll About Travel AltourAmerican Express Retail Travel NetworkAzumano Travel ServicesAmerican ExpressBest TravelCastoEnsemble TravelExpedia Flight Centre USAHess TravelHogg Robinson Group (HRG)Marathon TravelNexionOmega World TravelOrbitzPolk Majestic Travel GrouppricelinecomProtravel International

RADIUSSignature Travel NetworkStrong Travel ServicesThe Travel AuthorityTTAThe Travel TeamAmerican ExpressTravel Leaders CorporateTravel Leaders Franchise GroupTravel Dynamics GroupTravel Planners InternationalTravelinkAmerican ExpressTravelocityTravelStoreUltramar Travel ManagementUniglobe Travel InternationalVacationcomValerie Wilson TravelVirtuosoWings Travel Group

Premier

Amadeus American Express Avis Budget Group Best Western Business Travel News Intercontinental Hotel Group Las Vegas CVA Marriott International Orlando CVB Sabre Travel Network Starwood Hotels and Resorts Travel Weekly Turkish Culture and Tourist Office

Gold

Accor HospitalityEnterprise HoldingsHertzHilton WorldwideHyatt HotelsJetBlueTravel Insured InternationalTravelport

Silver

ABC Corporate ServicesAirTran AirwaysCCRA InternationalNexionTourism CaresTravel Age WestTravel Research Online

23

a s t a

1101 k i n g s t r e e t s u i t e 2 0 0

a l e x a n d r i a v a 2 2 314

a s k a s t a a s t a o r g

w w w a s t a o r g

w w w t r a v e l s e n s e o r g

2

In 2009 ASTArsquos value to the travel industry

expanded from federal and state legislation to

include educational and technological realms

Although the Society continued to speak up for

travel agencies across the country on Capitol

Hill on many subjects education was its main

goal With more than 20 Webinars and 17

online tutorials ASTA taught travel industry

professionals how to survive in tough economic

times

When United Airlines announced they were

shifting credit card fees to select travel agents

ASTA stood against this movement The Society

created a grassroots campaign to lobby Congress

to overhaul the rules protecting the nationrsquos

credit card owners from unfair and deceptive

business practices ASTA also worked closely with

Congressional leadership to bring pressure to

United on withdraw this practice

In an effort to prepare its members for possible

additional fees and increasingly stringent

regulations ASTA provided opportunities for

travel agents to learn how to better manage their

business and increase profits Webinars were

held on topics from best business practices and

branding to working with the media All of these

sessions taught members to use tools they already

had to increase and strengthen their business

Throughout the year ASTA members were

educated on topics that ranged from how to protect

their businesses to becoming more eco-friendly In

the spirit of accessibility ASTA held its inaugural

virtual conference and board meetings which

explored a new outlet for connecting the travel

industry

ASTA also expanded its horizons in a non-

traditional way through social media The Society

ramped up its presence on social and business

networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn

and joined the Twitter sphere where it promoted

ASTArsquos value to new industry partners agents

and travelers By integrating social media into its

campaigns ASTA has developed a new way for the

travel industry to learn from and connect with the

Society and each other

Knowledge is power and ASTA became a leader in

industry educational tools increasing the value

of membership and creating a new role for itself

Through effective representation and shared

knowledge ASTA continued to help its members

dedicate themselves to the business of selling

travel

A S T Arsquo S V A L U E T O T H E I N D U S T R Y

3










4





















try



































every way


















members have had to

Regards

Chris Russo


5













































5

6































6

7































































1S T Q u a r t e r

in

8



























online tools











































9
















April 19-22



























of the travel agent













ness Journal

10




























































2 n d Q u a r t e r

11


SCORE and the SBA





























date travel alerts




















of the results
















travel agents





12




















ernment officials


12

13


























Association (NTA)


















pass

















3 r d Q u a r t e r

14

















tive
















luggage



































15















































levels












travel components









16






for exhibitors







































Inc (Scottsdale AZ)





Beach Fla)















the travel sector



17





















sential to survival


















17

18



















and Europe













ASTA


























4 t h Q u a r t e r

19

















































bill however











and protected

20


































cess in 2010












21



































22





Premier


Gold


Silver


23

a s t a


a l e x a n d r i a v a 2 2 314


w w w a s t a o r g


3










4





















try



































every way


















members have had to

Regards

Chris Russo


5













































5

6































6

7































































1S T Q u a r t e r

in

8



























online tools











































9
















April 19-22



























of the travel agent













ness Journal

10




























































2 n d Q u a r t e r

11


SCORE and the SBA





























date travel alerts




















of the results
















travel agents





12




















ernment officials


12

13


























Association (NTA)


















pass

















3 r d Q u a r t e r

14

















tive
















luggage



































15















































levels












travel components









16






for exhibitors







































Inc (Scottsdale AZ)





Beach Fla)















the travel sector



17





















sential to survival


















17

18



















and Europe













ASTA


























4 t h Q u a r t e r

19

















































bill however











and protected

20


































cess in 2010












21



































22





Premier


Gold


Silver


23

a s t a


a l e x a n d r i a v a 2 2 314


w w w a s t a o r g


4





















try



































every way


















members have had to

Regards

Chris Russo


5













































5

6































6

7































































1S T Q u a r t e r

in

8



























online tools











































9
















April 19-22



























of the travel agent













ness Journal

10




























































2 n d Q u a r t e r

11


SCORE and the SBA





























date travel alerts




















of the results
















travel agents





12




















ernment officials


12

13


























Association (NTA)


















pass

















3 r d Q u a r t e r

14

















tive
















luggage



































15















































levels












travel components









16






for exhibitors







































Inc (Scottsdale AZ)





Beach Fla)















the travel sector



17





















sential to survival


















17

18



















and Europe













ASTA


























4 t h Q u a r t e r

19

















































bill however











and protected

20


































cess in 2010












21



































22





Premier


Gold


Silver


23

a s t a


a l e x a n d r i a v a 2 2 314


w w w a s t a o r g


5













































5

6































6

7































































1S T Q u a r t e r

in

8



























online tools











































9
















April 19-22



























of the travel agent













ness Journal

10




























































2 n d Q u a r t e r

11


SCORE and the SBA





























date travel alerts




















of the results
















travel agents





12




















ernment officials


12

13


























Association (NTA)


















pass

















3 r d Q u a r t e r

14

















tive
















luggage



































15















































levels












travel components









16






for exhibitors







































Inc (Scottsdale AZ)





Beach Fla)















the travel sector



17





















sential to survival


















17

18



















and Europe













ASTA


























4 t h Q u a r t e r

19

















































bill however











and protected

20


































cess in 2010












21



































22





Premier


Gold


Silver


23

a s t a


a l e x a n d r i a v a 2 2 314


w w w a s t a o r g


6































6

7































































1S T Q u a r t e r

in

8



























online tools











































9
















April 19-22



























of the travel agent













ness Journal

10




























































2 n d Q u a r t e r

11


SCORE and the SBA





























date travel alerts




















of the results
















travel agents





12




















ernment officials


12

13


























Association (NTA)


















pass

















3 r d Q u a r t e r

14

















tive
















luggage



































15















































levels












travel components









16






for exhibitors







































Inc (Scottsdale AZ)





Beach Fla)















the travel sector



17





















sential to survival


















17

18



















and Europe













ASTA


























4 t h Q u a r t e r

19

















































bill however











and protected

20


































cess in 2010












21



































22





Premier


Gold


Silver


23

a s t a


a l e x a n d r i a v a 2 2 314


w w w a s t a o r g


7































































1S T Q u a r t e r

in

8



























online tools











































9
















April 19-22



























of the travel agent













ness Journal

10




























































2 n d Q u a r t e r

11


SCORE and the SBA





























date travel alerts




















of the results
















travel agents





12




















ernment officials


12

13


























Association (NTA)


















pass

















3 r d Q u a r t e r

14

















tive
















luggage



































15















































levels












travel components









16






for exhibitors







































Inc (Scottsdale AZ)





Beach Fla)















the travel sector



17





















sential to survival


















17

18



















and Europe













ASTA


























4 t h Q u a r t e r

19

















































bill however











and protected

20


































cess in 2010












21



































22





Premier


Gold


Silver


23

a s t a


a l e x a n d r i a v a 2 2 314


w w w a s t a o r g


8



























online tools











































9
















April 19-22



























of the travel agent













ness Journal

10




























































2 n d Q u a r t e r

11


SCORE and the SBA





























date travel alerts




















of the results
















travel agents





12




















ernment officials


12

13


























Association (NTA)


















pass

















3 r d Q u a r t e r

14

















tive
















luggage



































15















































levels












travel components









16






for exhibitors







































Inc (Scottsdale AZ)





Beach Fla)















the travel sector



17





















sential to survival


















17

18



















and Europe













ASTA


























4 t h Q u a r t e r

19

















































bill however











and protected

20


































cess in 2010












21



































22





Premier


Gold


Silver


23

a s t a


a l e x a n d r i a v a 2 2 314


w w w a s t a o r g


9
















April 19-22



























of the travel agent













ness Journal

10




























































2 n d Q u a r t e r

11


SCORE and the SBA





























date travel alerts




















of the results
















travel agents





12




















ernment officials


12

13


























Association (NTA)


















pass

















3 r d Q u a r t e r

14

















tive
















luggage



































15















































levels












travel components









16






for exhibitors







































Inc (Scottsdale AZ)





Beach Fla)















the travel sector



17





















sential to survival


















17

18



















and Europe













ASTA


























4 t h Q u a r t e r

19

















































bill however











and protected

20


































cess in 2010












21



































22





Premier


Gold


Silver


23

a s t a


a l e x a n d r i a v a 2 2 314


w w w a s t a o r g


10




























































2 n d Q u a r t e r

11


SCORE and the SBA





























date travel alerts




















of the results
















travel agents





12




















ernment officials


12

13


























Association (NTA)


















pass

















3 r d Q u a r t e r

14

















tive
















luggage



































15















































levels












travel components









16






for exhibitors







































Inc (Scottsdale AZ)





Beach Fla)















the travel sector



17





















sential to survival


















17

18



















and Europe













ASTA


























4 t h Q u a r t e r

19

















































bill however











and protected

20


































cess in 2010












21



































22





Premier


Gold


Silver


23

a s t a


a l e x a n d r i a v a 2 2 314


w w w a s t a o r g


11


SCORE and the SBA





























date travel alerts




















of the results
















travel agents





12




















ernment officials


12

13


























Association (NTA)


















pass

















3 r d Q u a r t e r

14

















tive
















luggage



































15















































levels












travel components









16






for exhibitors







































Inc (Scottsdale AZ)





Beach Fla)















the travel sector



17





















sential to survival


















17

18



















and Europe













ASTA


























4 t h Q u a r t e r

19

















































bill however











and protected

20


































cess in 2010












21



































22





Premier


Gold


Silver


23

a s t a


a l e x a n d r i a v a 2 2 314


w w w a s t a o r g


12




















ernment officials


12

13


























Association (NTA)


















pass

















3 r d Q u a r t e r

14

















tive
















luggage



































15















































levels












travel components









16






for exhibitors







































Inc (Scottsdale AZ)





Beach Fla)















the travel sector



17





















sential to survival


















17

18



















and Europe













ASTA


























4 t h Q u a r t e r

19

















































bill however











and protected

20


































cess in 2010












21



































22





Premier


Gold


Silver


23

a s t a


a l e x a n d r i a v a 2 2 314


w w w a s t a o r g


13


























Association (NTA)


















pass

















3 r d Q u a r t e r

14

















tive
















luggage



































15















































levels












travel components









16






for exhibitors







































Inc (Scottsdale AZ)





Beach Fla)















the travel sector



17





















sential to survival


















17

18



















and Europe













ASTA


























4 t h Q u a r t e r

19

















































bill however











and protected

20


































cess in 2010












21



































22





Premier


Gold


Silver


23

a s t a


a l e x a n d r i a v a 2 2 314


w w w a s t a o r g


14

















tive
















luggage



































15















































levels












travel components









16






for exhibitors







































Inc (Scottsdale AZ)





Beach Fla)















the travel sector



17





















sential to survival


















17

18



















and Europe













ASTA


























4 t h Q u a r t e r

19

















































bill however











and protected

20


































cess in 2010












21



































22





Premier


Gold


Silver


23

a s t a


a l e x a n d r i a v a 2 2 314


w w w a s t a o r g


15















































levels












travel components









16






for exhibitors







































Inc (Scottsdale AZ)





Beach Fla)















the travel sector



17





















sential to survival


















17

18



















and Europe













ASTA


























4 t h Q u a r t e r

19

















































bill however











and protected

20


































cess in 2010












21



































22





Premier


Gold


Silver


23

a s t a


a l e x a n d r i a v a 2 2 314


w w w a s t a o r g


16






for exhibitors







































Inc (Scottsdale AZ)





Beach Fla)















the travel sector



17





















sential to survival


















17

18



















and Europe













ASTA


























4 t h Q u a r t e r

19

















































bill however











and protected

20


































cess in 2010












21



































22





Premier


Gold


Silver


23

a s t a


a l e x a n d r i a v a 2 2 314


w w w a s t a o r g


17





















sential to survival


















17

18



















and Europe













ASTA


























4 t h Q u a r t e r

19

















































bill however











and protected

20


































cess in 2010












21



































22





Premier


Gold


Silver


23

a s t a


a l e x a n d r i a v a 2 2 314


w w w a s t a o r g


18



















and Europe













ASTA


























4 t h Q u a r t e r

19

















































bill however











and protected

20


































cess in 2010












21



































22





Premier


Gold


Silver


23

a s t a


a l e x a n d r i a v a 2 2 314


w w w a s t a o r g


19

















































bill however











and protected

20


































cess in 2010












21



































22





Premier


Gold


Silver


23

a s t a


a l e x a n d r i a v a 2 2 314


w w w a s t a o r g


20


































cess in 2010












21



































22





Premier


Gold


Silver


23

a s t a


a l e x a n d r i a v a 2 2 314


w w w a s t a o r g


21



































22





Premier


Gold


Silver


23

a s t a


a l e x a n d r i a v a 2 2 314


w w w a s t a o r g


22





Premier


Gold


Silver


23

a s t a


a l e x a n d r i a v a 2 2 314


w w w a s t a o r g


23

a s t a


a l e x a n d r i a v a 2 2 314


w w w a s t a o r g


2009 annual report

Documents

s s i o n s t

e n tastas

t h e p r e s i d e

asta members

r e p o r tt r

travel agencies

g e f r o

retail travel marketplace