By Laura Del Rosso
LAS VEGAS -- ASTA is working on a "major program" incorporating
a consumer awareness campaign, legal action and legislative
activity, said Richard Copland, ASTA president at the association's
western regional conference.
"We're looking at phase two of our zero commission response," he
said.
Copland said details have not been completed but a consumer
public relations campaign is being discussed that would involve
grass-roots efforts through local chapters to generate awareness of
the value of travel agents.
During the Voice of the Membership session in which ASTA agents
are invited to ask questions of the association's leadership,
ASTA's legal defense of more than 200 travel agencies that are
targets of a California lawsuit came under fire.
Sheila Hyman, owner of Tanforan Travel, San Bruno, Calif., and a
former ASTA official, said ASTA's defense of the agents was an
unnecessary expense because the lawsuit is "frivolous."
ASTA hired a law firm in California to defend the agents, who
were individually named in the suit that claims they violated the
Seller of Travel law by not having registration numbers on their
Web sites.
"It's money that's not well spent," Hyman said. "I would hate to
see ASTA spend this kind of money on cases like this in other
states."
But Copland said it is important for ASTA to defend the
California agents to prevent copycat lawsuits.
"No one is going to abuse ASTA travel agencies. This is an
atrocious lawsuit and our membership is being abused."
Copland noted that California is the state with the most travel
agency locations, making it important to ASTA to take a strong
stand. But he said "if it happens anywhere else we will do [defend
ASTA agents] there."
In other news from the conference:
• ASTA Marketing Services (AMSI) signed an agreement with
Atlanta-based AgentWare to provide ASTA members with discounted
prices for Travel Console software that links back office systems
for billing and tracking and provides Web fare information
alongside CRS displays.
• ASTA inked an agreement with the Arizona Office of Tourism,
which will provide educational e-mails to ASTA members, destination
information on ASTA's Web site and advertise in the association's
trade magazine. It is the first such agreement with a domestic
tourism office and more are planned, said ASTA officials.
"ASTA is eager to work with state tourism offices to develop
mutually beneficial promotional relationships," said Copland.
• The western regional attracted about 300 travel agents and may
be the last of its kind. Next year, ASTA will combine the western
and southern regional conferences into one event, to be held April
10 to 13 at the El Conquistador resort in Tucson, Ariz.