This week marked the return of the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) annual Legislative Day, bringing journey company executives and trade advocates collectively in Washington, D.C.
The two-day occasion was attended by greater than 225 journey advisors in addition to provider companion registrants from all 50 states.
ASTA offered its annual Travel Industry Forecast throughout an occasion on the National Press Club on Tuesday morning that additionally featured a keynote from Omega World Travel founder Gloria Bohan and an informative panel highlighting a number of the trade’s most profitable girls, together with Denise Jackson, President & CEO, Balboa Travel Management; Jackie Friedman, President, Nexion Travel Group; Board Chair, American Society of Travel Advisors; Keisha Adriano, CEO at Travelwise International; Tiffany Hines, CEO, Global Escapes and Melinda Fortunato, Luxury Travel Advisor & Owner of Best Travel LLC.
Seventy p.c of the journey company sector is comprised of female-owned small companies, in keeping with the U.S. Census Bureau.
Later, advisors gathered on the Hilton Washington DC National Mall The Wharf for unique coaching and recommendations on the right way to make the following day’s conferences the simplest.
With that coaching in addition to insights from a panel of congressional employees, ASTA members offered their coverage priorities to greater than 200 members of the House and Senate, assembly on Capitol Hill for a number of hours Wednesday.
“When it comes to the government, you face a choice – engage in the process or put your head in the sand, leave the field to the opposition and hope for the best. Starting well before COVID hit, ASTA and our members have engaged tirelessly, both in D.C. and in the states, and we have a series of wins to show for it,” ASTA President and CEO Zane Kerby mentioned in an announcement.
“By showing Congress who we are, who we employ and that we are paying attention, the government will understand that travel advisors watch out for the traveling public. Legislative Day is the most important way to send that message.”
This 12 months’s focus was on the FAA Reauthorization and funding for the Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism.
The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 is about to run out on the finish of September and ASTA desires to make sure that its priorities are included within the last invoice, together with these associated to refunds. Both the House and Senate variations of the reauthorization laws comprise enhanced readability that an company’s obligation to challenge a consumer refund for a canceled or considerably modified flight is proscribed to eventualities the place it and never the airline possesses the funds in query.
The group additionally desires Congress so as to add a journey company seat to the Department of Transportation’s Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee (ACPAC) and develop a streamlined system for fulfilling client disclosure necessities throughout “offline” air ticket transactions, together with over-the-phone, face-to-face. Another ask throughout the FAA Reauthorization invoice is for flexibility by way of how airline ancillary price data is offered to shoppers.
Meanwhile, the brand new Assistant Secretary of Travel and Tourism place was established throughout the U.S. Department of Commerce when Congress handed the Visit America Act late final 12 months. As it stands, the U.S. is the one G20 nation and not using a federal company or cabinet-level official in command of tourism coverage.
The Biden Administration has requested $3.5 million as a part of the Commerce Department’s finances to fund the brand new workplace, which will likely be tasked with offering high-level management on journey and tourism. The Assistant Secretary of Travel and Tourism will likely be accountable to Congress and work throughout federal businesses to create and implement nationwide methods and insurance policies designed to develop journey, ASTA says.
TravelPulse shadowed a gaggle of advisors led by panelist and ASTA board member Tiffany Hines as they met with Representative Austin Scott of Georgia.
After a couple of minutes, the group emerged all smiles and expressed confidence that their message was acquired.
That was the overwhelming sentiment of journey advisors in attendance this 12 months. This is an trade that’s experiencing large development as extra vacationers turn into extra more likely to flip to an advisor to plan their journey post-pandemic and with every ASTA Legislative Day its voice will get a bit of bit louder.
“Policymaking is a marathon, not a sprint,” ASTA’s Executive Vice President of Advocacy Eben Peck said. “Our goal is to raise awareness about the critical role travel advisors play in the broader travel and tourism industry, and to secure support from as many legislators as possible for policies that will help our members’ businesses recover post-COVID.”
“Legislative Day is the most impactful thing our members can do to help make that happen,” he concluded.
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Source: www.travelpulse.com”