Judging from the mail we've been getting around here (see Alan's
Traveling column if you don't know what I'm talking about), agents
are ticked off. Could it be, though, that this time they're really
not going to take it anymore?
Some have opted to quit. That's understandable. It's not
abandoning ship to decide that for reasons both emotional and
financial, being a travel agent is just not longer worth the
effort.
Many, though, have decided to fight the good fight. ASTA's Day
of Awareness last week seems to have gotten the ball rolling. Now,
a North Carolina group has jumped into the fray.
Dubbing themselves the Traveler's Advocate Alliance, this group
of five agency owners will attempt to bring the value that travel
agents provide for their clients directly to the public. Their
newly hired media consultant has already sent out a story on the
commission cuts to the North Carolina press, which so far has
failed to cover the issue.
Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands. This is
definitely one of them