WASHINGTON — Mark Casto, president and CEO of Casto Travel in San Jose, Calif., admitted he was a little nervous the first time he met with representatives on Capitol Hill. His hands were clammy and shaky, and his voice sounded like he was 16 years old again, despite the fact that the legislative aide he was sitting across from was probably no older than 22.
But Casto soldiered on and told that aide about the issues facing the travel industry and his business. Since then, Casto has returned to Washington three more times to do the same thing, including last week, as part of ASTA's annual Legislative Day.
One of the Society's core missions is advocating for agents, but once a year, that role shifts to members, when they gather here to meet with their legislators and talk about their businesses. This year's event drew more than 100 members who represented a cross-section of the industry.
"ASTA is our national trade association, the American Society of Travel Agents," said Ann Chamberlin, senior vice president of membership and strategic partners. "Travel agents come in all shapes and sizes, from very large corporate agencies and TMCs to midsize agencies to the independent travel consultant. All of them have a voice. ASTA's role is to represent every voice in the industry, so that's what makes this so electric."
Before heading to the Hill, attendees were briefed on their meetings there and on the issues ASTA chose to focus on this year. Eben Peck, the Society's senior vice president for government and public affairs, said each of those issues is timely: FAA reauthorization, the Travel Agent Retail Fairness Act and the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act.
This September, the FAA Extension, Safety and Security Act of 2016, which is set to expire, is undergoing a reauthorization process. Currently, agents are required to make seven disclosures when they sell airline tickets (for example, disclosing codeshares); if they do not, they could be subject to a fine up to $30,000. The reauthorization process will likely bring more proposed disclosures as it has in the past.
"There are ways that Congress can mitigate the impact of these new disclosures on ticket agents," Peck said, perhaps by exempting agents or exempting those defined as small businesses. He encouraged agents to ask their representatives to consider whether new disclosures are necessary, and if they are to think about how their impact on agents could be minimized.
The next topic was the Travel Agent Retail Fairness Act, a bill currently in the House of Representatives. ASTA championed for its introduction. The bill would remove agencies from a so-called "blacklist" of industries unable to qualify for a Retail or Service Establishment exemption to overtime rules.
ASTA general counsel Peter Lobasso said that in 1970, the Department of Labor created a list of businesses it said "lack a retail concept," including travel agencies. Those businesses cannot qualify for the exemption.
However, ASTA believes many agencies do qualify as retail establishments, and in a 1997 court case brought by a travel agency, a federal district court agreed that the agency should qualify for the exemption.
The bill would, if passed, remove agencies from the blacklist, enabling them to use the exemption. On Legislative Day, agents were encouraged to ask their representatives to co-sponsor or support the bill.
Finally, agents asked legislators to cosponsor and support the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act, which would permit unrestricted U.S. travel to the island. The topic was especially timely, as the White House has been conducting a review on Cuba travel, and President Trump could potentially roll back the progress made on that issue.
After their briefing, agents were off to the Hill, where they would meet with their legislators or their staffers throughout the day.
"It's good for Congress and their staff to put the names and faces and stories to the people who put them in office," ASTA president and CEO Zane Kerby said. "And remember that: You put them there, and you're there to remind them that you're watching them as they vote on issues that are important to your business."
In their meetings, agents focused on both forming relationships with lawmakers and discussing the issues at hand. ASTA's forces were bolstered by CLIA members, who also held meetings with legislators on the same day and attended ASTA's training sessions.
Afterward, agents said they were impressed by lawmakers' willingness to listen to them.
"Most everybody knew that travel agencies do still exist and understood the importance of the agency community, and I think we got a lot of traction and interest from the various people we met with," said Eric Maryanov, president of Los Angeles-based All-Travel.com.
According to Roy Schultheis, chief of staff for Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.), the agents' voices are welcomed on the Hill.
"I know many of you may feel like you're putting your lives on pause," he said. "It may even be costing you money because you're not running your business. But it is well worth it because we do need to see you and hear from you in order to set forward our agenda and know what we should be focused and working on."