ABC Global, ASTA team up
ABC Global Services and the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) have teamed up for a new initiative that will see up to $10,000 being contributed to the Association’s advocacy efforts based on agency usage of ABC’s services.
Specifically, during the month of February, ABC will donate $.10 for every ABC rate code booked by its agency customers and $.20 per ABC booking for all new customers.
ABC Global Services’ CEO, Eric Altschul is inviting “all of our agency partners to join us in supporting ASTA’s advocacy efforts that are so important to our industry and make a difference in all of our lives. I am certain that our partners will want their voices heard in supporting ASTA and that we will achieve the $10,000 threshold.”
ASTA president & CEO Zane Kerby said, “Advocating for travel agents at all levels of government and industry is job #1 for ASTA. We are heartened that ABC recognizes the importance of our work and greatly appreciate this pledge, which will allow us to redouble our efforts to defend and promote the retail distribution channel.”
Recent examples of ASTA advocacy initiatives include fighting for travel agents’ access to real-time transactable airline ancillary fees through the GDSs and other channels; opposing job-killing sales tax hikes in 2013 in VA, MN and OH that would have cost agencies $170 million per year in new taxes; and helping to put a new travel insurance regulatory standard into place in 21 states, which will cut licensing costs, red tape and regulatory risk for agents.
(http://www.ASTA.org/Advocacy , http://www.ABCGlobalServices.com)
