On May 14, ASTA will launch what it says is its first dedicated membership drive, a one-week initiative called "Join and Be Counted." Editor at Large Johanna Jainchill spoke with ASTA CEO Tony Gonchar about how the Society is trying to encourage increased membership and why the free-rider approach is not good for the industry.
Q: Why are you doing your first membership drive now?
A: We've not done as good a job as we can educating travel agents about the importance of the advocacy we are offering at ASTA. We are trying to see whether this is an approach that works. It works for NPR, and we are not NPR, but we are a nonprofit that benefits everybody in the marketplace. You can get all the benefits of ASTA without contributing to ASTA, all the important legislative and lobbying efforts we do. That sort of free-rider approach doesn't seem fair.
Q: You are also asking more suppliers to join ASTA. How do they benefit?
A: Traditional travel agents provide about one-third of overall travel bookings, with direct and online providing the other two-thirds. But the dollar value of the revenue of travel agent bookings can be 50% higher than direct and OTA bookings -- that came from a PhoCusWright report. Helping ASTA to lobby and do its work as effectively as possible helps both buyers and sellers. It sustains travel agents' ability to operate without the burdensome laws designed to tax them or make it difficult to continue operating. We are asking [suppliers] to join as allied members of ASTA, to help provide incremental funding to ASTA so it remains healthy and strong and viable.
Q: Why enlist consortia to help spread the word?
A: We have the industry-leading consortia messaging directly to their membership on the importance of joining ASTA. When Matthew Upchurch of Virtuoso, John Lovell of Vacation.com or Roger Block of Travel Leaders says, "How can you be in the travel industry and not be a part of ASTA?" that means something. They are telling their membership base why they need to consider now more than ever the reasons to be part of ASTA. We are making strides daily. ... We need to be able to supplement that through ASTA being strong and healthy. It's having people step up and do the right thing. If you are getting the benefit of this association and not participating in that, well, shame on you. You should be a member of the only organization dedicated to protecting your business.
Q: How does ASTA's participating compare to other trade associations?
A: Penetration is much higher in other trade organizations. I am just back from a meeting with the [World Travel Agents Associations Alliance], and our counterparts from New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Europe, their membership rates vary from 50% to 95%.
Q: What are the most significant legislative victories ASTA has contributed to?
A: On the offensive front -- battles to improve existing laws and rules -- the most significant success is ASTA's work with the U.S. Travel Insurance Association to get the states to adopt a uniform code that passes on the travel insurance regulatory and financial burden from the travel agent to the travel insurance provider. ... We have also successfully pushed back in states across the country against regulatory requirements such as registration fees and escrow requirements. In addition, we have also defeated state efforts to apply significant sales taxes that could double or even triple the taxation of agents' income.
Follow Johanna Jainchill on Twitter @jjainchilltw.