THE
MONACO-BASED United Federation of Travel Agents
Associations is creating its own travel agent ID program. The
Travel Industry Pass, or TIP Card, is in beta testing with 4,000
agents. Its embedded photo and magnetic stripe technology are
intended to identify bona fide travel agents. UFTAA announced its
plan around the same time that the Association of Canadian Travel
Agents rolled out an ID card program in Canada and ARTA said it
planned to develop an industry-supported ID card in the U.S. and
Canada. The initiatives are in response to growing questions about
why the dominant accreditation and ID card for agents who don't
sell air should be issued by IATA, an airline trade organization.
For about 20 years, UFTAA supported the IATA ID program outside the
U.S., but that arrangement ended in December, noted Birger Backman,
senior advisor to UFTAA.
AT-HOME
AGENTS in New Jersey area are invited to attend a series
of seminars sponsored by the South/Central New Jersey Chapter of
the Outside Sales Support Network. Participants do not have to be
OSSN members. The cost of each event is $10. A bevy of industry
suppliers are pegged to present educational programs. All seminars
will be held at the East Grand Buffet in East Brunswick. All begin
at 6 p.m. The entry fee includes dinner. Here's a rundown of
featured suppliers:
April 12:
Tourlite, Michelangelo Tours of Italy, Swan Tours, Keith Prowse,
Travel Insured.
May 8: Walt
Disney Cruise Line, Walt Disney World.
June 5: Islands
in the Sun/ATS Tours, Lion World Tours, Couples Resorts, Universal
Orlando Parks and Resorts, Spanish Heritage Tours.
June 20: CLIA
Class and Mini Trade Show
Travel suppliers
that would like to be featured in a future chapter event can email
[email protected].
EDUCATION
UPDATE: Sandals Resorts will showcase its renovations and
new partnerships at its 16 Caribbean all-inclusive resorts to
travel agents in the Midwest, Massachusetts and New Jersey this
spring. More locations will follow in late spring and summer.
Events planned follow:
April 4, Drury
Lane Oakbrook Terrace, Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.
April 24,
Sheraton Newark Airport, Newark, N.J.
April 25,
Marriott Boston Burlington, Burlington, Mass.
Registration and
the trade show exhibit begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and a
presentation at 7 p.m. To register, call (800)
48-SPECIAL.
FAM OF THE
WEEK
China
Trip: Visits Beijing, Dunhung, Kashgar,
Lanzhou, Turpan and Urumqi.
Departure: May 11 from Los Angeles to
Beijing via Air China.
Length: 11 nights.
Sponsor: Pacific Holidays, New
York.
Cost: $2,495 per person, double. Includes
roundtrip air, accommodations, sightseeing, all meals and
transfers, including air within China.
Noteworthy: The companion rate is $200
additional. A three-night extension to Qufu and Mount Tai is
offered for $699 per agent and $799 per companion.
Contact: (800) 355-8025; e-mail: [email protected].
Home-Based
Agent Editor: Donna Tunney
Phone: (508) 221-3674
[email protected]
For promotional
opportunities in the E-letters, contact [email protected].