ASTA 2005 Corporate Report

American Society of Travel Agents CORPORATE OVERVIEW

DEDICATED TO THE BUSINESS OF SELLING TRAVEL

ASTA’s Value to the Industry s the world’s largest association of travel professionals, the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) is proud to represent the 20,000plus travel agents and companies who comprise our membership.

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On behalf of our members, ASTA frequently contacted the government throughout 2005.

Those encounters, along with dynamic grassroots efforts throughout the United States, were instrumental to influence elected officials at both the federal and state level and advance issues that affect the business of retailing travel.

We helped focus the industry’s attention to card mills and the damage they inflict on agents, suppliers and the traveling public.We also educated the public directly, posting a comprehensive white paper entitled “What Consumers and Consumer Protection Agencies Should Know About Travel Industry Card Mills” on our consumer Web site, TravelSense.org.

ASTA influenced the extension of Section 145 of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, protecting the rights of bankrupt airline passengers for another year. We helped small businesses better serve their clients by pushing the House of Representatives to pass the Junk Fax Prevention Act. The Society also spread the word about the value, expertise, convenience and personal touch travel agents provide clients. We sent ASTA President and CEO Kathryn W. Sudeikis, CTC, on a media tour that visited 10 of the top 25 media markets in the nation. The media tour produced approximately 43.8 million impressions with a market value of more than $2 million.

As the leading advocate for travel agents, the travel industry and the traveling public, ASTA enjoyed a very successful year in 2005. We wish to thank our members and industry partners for giving ASTA’s One Voice the strength to effectively and consistently advance the industry.

Mission Statement he American Society of Travel Agents’ mission is to enhance the professionalism and profitability of member agents through effective representation in industry and government affairs, education and training, and by identifying and meeting the needs of the traveling public.

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A STATEMENT FROM KATHRYN W. SUDEIKIS, CTC

ince becoming President of ASTA, my main goal has been clear: to get our message heard in the media, in the government, in the industry and, most important, heard by the millions of people who need our help in making travel purchase decisions.

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This led me around the country speaking with agents and meeting with suppliers to promote the value that ASTA brings to the industry. I participated in an extensive media outreach and initiated a program to establish productive relationships between travel agents and key travel reporters in the top 50 media markets.

These new relationships placed ASTA in a prime position to win back customers’ confidence in travel agents, to win back suppliers’ willingness to do business with us, and to win back agents’ confidence in their association. It has been a successful year.

The past year was one of change and renewal. During 2005, ASTA held the very last World Travel Congress, an institution that has been a part of the industry for 75 years, while introducing two new travel event superstars: THETRADESHOW and the International Destination Expo.

I invite everyone in the business of selling travel to take notice at what ASTA accomplished in 2005, for we did it for you. This is our industry – and ASTA is our industry’s association.

Thank you.

Kathryn W. Sudeikis, CTC President & CEO, ASTA

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These dedicated volunteer leaders represent the membership in setting policy and advancing the directives of the Society.

Executive Board

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER William A. Maloney, CTC

VICE PRESIDENT Cheryl Hudak, CTC

SECRETARY Mary Louise Seifert, CTC

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER Tony Hughes

TREASURER Frederic "Fred" Bursch

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Richard M. Copland, CTC

Board of Directors AREA 1 (NEW ENGLAND) Thomas L. Keefe Addison Travel Andover, MA AREA 2 (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Robert E Kern, Jr. PNR Travel Inc. Marina Del Rey, CA AREA 3 (NEW YORK CITY) Jack D. Tillem Hillside Travel Hicksville, NY Area 4 (New Jersey) Salvatore J Castoria A Better Trip, Inc. Matawan, NJ

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AREA 5 (CENTRAL ATLANTIC & DELAWARE VALLEY, AND CAROLINAS) Lynda P. Maxwell, CTC Destinations, Inc. Ellicott City, MD AREA 6 (SOUTHEAST) Vickie Greenlee, CTC,ACC For Travelers Only Jackson, MS AREA 7 (ALLEGHENY, MICHIGAN & MID-AMERICA) Penelope Hawkins Lakes Area Travel Plus Commerce Township, MI AREA 8 (MISSOURI VALLEY & UPPER MIDWEST) Barbara Hansen, CTC Sunflower Travel Corporation Wichita, KS

AREA 9 (NORTHERN CALIFORNIA) Scott Pinheiro Santa Cruz Travel, Inc. Santa Cruz, CA

AREA 13 (HAWAII, ORANGE COUNTY & SAN DIEGO) George Delanoy Brea Travel Brea, CA

DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE; CORPORATE ADVISORY COUNCIL Roger Block, CTC Carlson Leisure Group Minneapolis, MN

AREA 10 (OREGON & PACIFIC NORTHWEST) Teri Lightfield Ya'lla Tours USA, Inc. Portland, OR

AREA 14 (CENTRAL & NORTH FLORIDA, SOUTH FLORIDA & PUERTO RICO/VIRGIN ISLANDS) Jan Hammond, CTC, DS, MCC Sixth Star Travel, Inc. Plantation, FL

CHAPTER PRESIDENTS COUNCIL CHAIR K. Hope Wallace, CTC ADA Travel Casa Grande, AZ

AREA 11 (CONNECTICUT, HUDSON VALLEY, LONG ISLAND, & UPSTATE NEW YORK) Stephen F. Fiore WorldTek Travel West Haven, CT AREA 12 (SOUTHWEST) Betty C. Clement Adventure in Travel Paris, TX

AREA 16 (ROCKY MOUNTAIN AND ARIZONA) Jim Kroll Desert Travel Casa Grande, AZ AREA 18 (MIDWEST & WISCONSIN/UPM) John F. Haskins Viking Travel Service, LP Naperville, IL

INTERNATIONAL CHAPTER PRESIDENTS COUNCIL CHAIR Amr Adel Sedky Creative Travel International CTI Cairo, Egypt

Chapter Presidents ALLEGHENY Victoria L. Abel, CTC Odyssey Travel, Inc. Murrysville, PA

DELAWARE VALLEY Arlene H. Blosch Travel Wizards, Inc. Bensalem, PA

MIDWEST Guy A. Bernacchi, CTC Best Travel & Tours, Inc. Chicago, IL

OREGON Paula Hobble, CTC Focus On Travel, Inc. Beaverton, OR

SOUTH FLORIDA Nina Meyer, CTC,MCC,DS TraveLeaders Coral Gables, FL

ARIZONA K. Hope Wallace, CTC ADA Travel Casa Grande, AZ

HAWAII Wendy Goodenow, CTC HNL Travel Associates Honolulu, HI

MISSOURI VALLEY Cheryl Kent, CTA,ACC Carlson Wagonlit Travel O Fallon, MO

PACIFIC NORTHWEST Renee A. Olsen Apollo Travel & Cruise, Inc. Port Orchard, WA

SOUTHEAST Charles G. Jones Cruise Vacations, Inc. Gretna, LA

CAROLINAS Joseph W. Bouknight Forest Lake Travel, Inc. Columbia, SC

HUDSON VALLEY Colleen B. Gillette New Paltz Travel Center, Inc. New Paltz, NY

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Paula Quon, CTC Supreme Travel San Francisco, CA

PUERTO RICO/VIRIGN ISLANDS Arturo Riollano Vimar Travel Bayamon, PR

SOUTHWEST Michael L. McCulloh McCulloh Travel Service, Inc. Ardmore, OK

CONNECTICUT Russell C. Arpaia Plaza Travel Woodbridge, CT

LONG ISLAND Lois M. Howes Sterling Travel Baldwin, NY

NEW ENGLAND Irene C. Ross, CTC Ross Travel Consultants, Inc. Boston, MA

ROCKY MOUNTAIN Chris Russo Travel Partners Broomfield, CO

UPPER MIDWEST Henry Donaldson A-1 Travel Edina, MN

CENTRAL & NORTHERN FLORIDA Geraldine Gregorian, MCC,PHD Alpha Omega Travel Port Saint Lucie, FL

MICHIGAN Carol L. Wagner CWT/Travel Plus, Inc. Commerce Township, MI

NEW JERSEY Bonnie S. Kessler Lloyd Exchange Travel, Inc. Union, NJ

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Lynda Burruss PNR Travel Inc. Marina Del Rey, CA

UPSTATE NEW YORK Patrick R. Byrne, CLU M.P.B. Travel Service, Inc. Buffalo, NY

MID AMERICA Dan Lanser, CTC A Plus Travel Adventures Uniontown, OH

NEW YORK CITY Barbara Jathas Skyway Travel Service, Inc. Ossining, NY

SAN DIEGO Antoine Georges, CTC The Happy Traveler San Diego, CA

WISCONSIN-UPM Sherrie J. Bindrim All About Travel, Inc. Mukwonago, WI

CENTRAL ATLANTIC Jay M. Ellenby Safe Harbors Business Travel Group, Inc. Baltimore, MD

ORANGE COUNTY Barbara L. Boatman Boulevards of Travel Newport Beach, CA

International Chapter Presidents ARMENIA Yeghishe Tanashyan Five Stars, Ltd. Yerevan, Armenia

CROATIA Vlado Lucic Atlas Travel Agency Dubrovnik, Croatia

AUSTRALIA Barry Mayo Harvey World Travel Limited Alexandria, Australia

CYPRUS Minos G. Hatziminas Airtour-Cyprus Travel Agency, Ltd. Nicosia, Cyprus

INDIA Swadesh Kumar Shikhar Travels (I) Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi, India

CZECH REPUBLIC Karel Dach Teris 2002, AS Prague, Czech Republic

IRAN Massoud Nematollahi Pars Tourist Agency Shiraz, Iran

EASTERN CANADA Karyn Moore, CTC,ACC Crone Travel Professional Scarborough, Canada

IRELAND Eithne Scott-Lennon Castle Transport & Marketing Services, Ltd Dublin, Ireland

AUSTRIA Roland Latzko Imperial Connection Vienna, Austria BAHAMAS Graham M. Cooper New Providence Travel Nassau, Bahamas BRAZIL Kishin J. Harjani Taj Mahal Tours Ltd. Manaus, Brazil BULGARIA Stanimir Stankov Stanley Comfort Travel Ltd Sofia, Bulgaria CAMEROON Maurice Soffack Inter Corporation Ltd. Douala, Cameroon CHINESE TAIPEI Robert See Discover the World Marketing, Inc. Taipei, Taiwan

ECUADOR Rolf A. Andreetti Avanti Travel Cia Ltda Quito, Ecuador EGYPT Amr Adel Sedky Creative Travel International CTI Cairo, Egypt GERMANY Klaus Platzdasch SAXONIA Touristik International GmbH Leipzig, Saxony, Germany GHANA Teye Doku Rylax Travel and Tours Ltd Accra, Ghana

GREECE Andreas Balakakis, ESQ Balakakis Worldwide Tour Operator Athens, Greece

ISRAEL Gabriel Abdalla Sindbad Tourist Travel Agency, Ltd. Jerusalem, Israel ITALY Mary Tortoriello I.C.I. International Incoming Center Rome, Italy JAPAN Shigeo Adachi Tokyu Tourist Corp.

Tokyo, Japan JORDAN Basim K. Mubarak Amani Tours Amman, Jordan

KENYA Rosemary J. Wamboi Gyro Travel Agency, Ltd. Nairobi, Kenya

SAUDI ARABIA Moutaz F. Kayal Elaf Travel & Tourism Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

LEBANON Antoine Boustany Ariane Travel & Tourism Beirut, Lebanon

SINGAPORE Allen Tsang Lotus Travel Pte Ltd. Singapore

MALTA Hugh Von Brockdorff A & V Von Brockdorff Services Ltd. Sliema, Malta

SPAIN Julian Garcia-Hidalgo Viajes Caja San Fernando Seville, Spain

MOROCCO Abdel Sefrioui M.C.I. Travel Marrakech, Morocco

TANZANIA Moustafa H. Khataw Skylink Travel & Tours Ltd. Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

PAKISTAN Mahmud Ahmad Bonds Travel Bureau Karachi, Pakistan

THAILAND Pitsanu Kongkunpai 24 Jan. Travel Bangkok, Thailand

PERU Adriana Becerra De Romero Dasatariq Lima, Peru

TURKEY Karni Benlian Paros Travel Service & Services Istanbul, Turkey

PHILIPPINES Sony Lopez Gonzalez Tourist Information Bureau, Inc. Manila, Philippines

UNITED KINGDOM Andrew F. Gilmour Montrave International Leven, Fife, United Kingdom

PORTUGAL Joao Moita Citur Travel Portugal Lisbon, Portugal

VENEZUELA Lisbeth Eioelman De Waich, CTC Club Del Trotamundo Miami, FL

ROMANIA Petre Balas Peter Express Bucharest, Romania

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2005 IN REVIEW

1st Quarter – A Time of Action 2005 began with the travel industry still reeling from the effects of the Dec. 26, 2004, tsunami in Southeast Asia. Tourism was a primary source of income for many survivors, especially those in the coastal resort towns of Thailand, Indonesia and the Maldives. ASTA members united to help tsunami-affected communities rebuild, donating directly through ASTAnet and TravelSense.org.

ASTA channeled its tsunami support though “Flight of Friendship,” an ASTA member-led team of tourism, business and political leaders from Oregon who visited the regions in Southeast Asia impacted the most by the tsunami. By working together, the travel industry helped restore damaged tourism destinations, giving thousands of Southeast Asians the chance to rise from the destruction and begin rebuilding their lives and their livelihoods.

Recognizing a shift in both the industry and the needs of its members, ASTA announced plans to redefine its business structure and reconfigure its membership categories. On Feb. 16, ASTA’s Board of Directors followed the advice of independent expert research and voted unanimously to pursue development of a New Business Model to enable the Society to deliver unique and valuable new services.

The board viewed the New Business Model as an opportunity to provide travel agents with a stable, long-term organization that can provide value they cannot produce on their own.

More than 100 attendees completed ASTA’s Bahia Study Conference, March 13-19. During the in-depth study tour, attendees experienced the popular Brazilian destination’s culture, history and ambiance through

tours, enlightening seminars and a trade show packed with local suppliers. All attendees left Brazil with specialist certifications, which sets them apart from competitors and shows clients that they know the region better than any Web site or guidebook.

ASTA’s Government Affairs department introduced the NOVA campaign. NOVA, which stands for Now One Voice—ASTA, is a nationwide grassroots effort to increase the participation of ASTA members in the political arena. In its first year, the NOVA campaign enlisted 66 politically-minded members to go the extra mile on behalf of the industry by pledging, when called upon, to

testify before Congress or at the state level, to play a part in federal and state industry stakeholder meetings or to contact their elected officials.

ASTA expanded its members’ online presence on TravelSense.org, ASTA’s consumer-focused Web site. On the site, consumers can locate and contact the perfect agent for their travel needs through the “Find a Travel Agent” search engine, which provides key information like specialties, destinations and languages for nearly 2,900 member agents. The site averaged 15,000 unique visitors a month in 2005, and the average visitor viewed 11 ASTA member profiles.

Members also can develop a stronger online presence through the TravelSense Community, an interac-

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tive meeting place for travel agents and consumers.

Powered by IgoUgo, the TravelSense Community allows ASTA agents to showcase their strengths, personalities and experiences to thousands of consumers who visit each month.

ASTA partnered with the Alliance Against Fraud in Telemarketing and Electronic Commerce (AAFTEC), which is coordinated by the National Consumers League, to host the 2005 Conference on Travel Fraud and Consumer Protection on March 29, 2005. The conference covered topics such as booking travel online, consumer rights when things go wrong during travel, hot fraud areas and a look at what protection states extend to consumers.

On the political front during the first quarter, ASTA attended a White House briefing on Social Security reform; filed comments concerning the DOT’s proposed ruling that all travel-selling Web sites should be modified for the vision impaired; and filed comments with the Small Business Administration (SBA) regarding the standards the government would use to classify small businesses.

September 10-13, 2006 Event Partners: ASTA, ACTA, Adventures in Travel Expo, CLIA, IGLTA, ITB Berlin, NACTA, NTA, The Travel Institute, TIA, See America, USA Today, USTOA

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2nd Quarter – A Time of Innovation STA started the second quarter of 2005 on a high note with ASTA & NACTA’s Cruisefest in Miami, April 7-10. The number of attendees doubled from the previous year with more than 1,200 registered, all 130 supplier booths sold out in record time, and 22 top commercial cruise ships inspected.

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ASTA joined forces with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to promote “Know Before You Go,” a campaign aimed at international travelers entering the United States to educate them about new travel requirements and regulations before they depart on their trip.

ASTA wanted to inform travelers of the latest travel procedures, including new passport requirements, before the year’s peak travel season began.

ASTA announced its new annual travel event: THETRADESHOW (Travel Retailing and Destination Expo), set for Sept. 10-13, 2006, in Orlando. Always held the second week in September at alternating locations (Orlando and Las Vegas), the THETRADESHOW will be the largest industry event in North America, connecting thousands of consumers, travel agents and travel suppliers from every segment of the industry in one convenient location.

ITB Berlin and the National Tour Association (NTA) were the first to sign on as strategic partners for THETRADESHOW. As strategic partners, they will be involved in all aspects of the show, from overall design to speakers and education. Throughout the year, the Adventure in Travel Expo (ATE), Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA), Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), International Gay and Lesbian Travel

Association (IGLTA), National Association of Commissioned Travel Agents (NACTA), Travel Industry Association of America (TIA),The Travel Institute, U.S.Tour Operators Association (USTOA) and USA Today also joined as strategic partners.

ASTA launched a media tour to educate consumers about the value of using travel agents.

Throughout May, ASTA President and CEO Kathryn W. Sudeikis, CTC, spoke with the media in major U.S. cities, invalidating negative travel agent myths while praising the value, expertise and importance of professional travel agents to audiences in 10 of the top 25 media markets in America. Her agent-friendly advice was featured on 24 television shows, 14 radio programs and in six print interviews, producing approximately 43.8 million impressions.

ASTA launched SmartBrief to send essential industry information to members across the world. A new member benefit, SmartBrief is a free, daily travel industry news roundup delivered via e-mail. It contains business trends, technology news, updates on government policies, regulations, industry events and best practices—key information agents and suppliers need to know when they need to know it.

ASTA teamed up with the North American Precis Syndicate (NAPS), a New York-based media service, to distribute articles and broadcast pieces that promote ASTA members and their services in numerous publications and radio shows across the country. By year end, more than 100 million people will have seen ASTA’s articles in newspapers, and nearly 165 million people will have seen or heard ASTA’s radio and television spots.

to Airline Bankruptcies, which is posted in the Members Resources section of ASTAnet. The comprehensive guide summarizes the consequences of the bankruptcy process and provides suggestions on how travel agencies can protect their customers, as well as their own businesses, in the event of an airline default.

Agents interested in enhancing their business acumen turned to ASTA’s latest education tool, the Model Agent Program (MAP II).The sequel to the popular Model Agency Program, MAP II is a comprehensive educational program designed for individual travel agents who want to develop professionally in today’s changing marketplace. Like MAP I, ASTA created MAP II with Best Western to provide agents with a higher-level education program designed to enhance individual development.

ASTA testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Narcotic Affairs regarding the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). There, ASTA stressed the importance that the government regard the effects that enhanced security measures may have on the willingness of people to travel domestically and overseas. ASTA also advocated for the development of a new travel instrument in place of passports, which lead to the January 2006 implementation of the PASS Card (People Access Security Service)—a passport-substitute travel document for travelers crossing U.S. borders in the Western Hemisphere.

When members need to know how to deal with bankrupt airlines, they can now turn to ASTA’s Agents’ Guide

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3rd Quarter – A Time of Progress ASTA rang in the third quarter with an overwhelming vote of confidence from its membership. Eighty-two percent of voting members approved of the New Business Model by electronic ballot. Called “an historic decision”by ASTA President and CEO Kathryn W. Sudeikis, CTC, the vote confirmed that ASTA members demand an invigorated association, progressive and innovative new services, and a stronger voice in Washington, D.C. Answering those demands, the New Business Model offers Core and Premium membership categories that will provide most current members more access to information for lower dues and give other organizations the chance to benefit from one-on-one services.

Implementation of the New Business Model will begin in 2006, and new member categories will be officially launched in January 2007. All agents and agencies that are serious about the business of selling retail travel will find the new services essential for success.

Another important step for agents and agencies serious about selling retail travel in 2005 was the acquisition of their .travel domain name that will go into effect in 2006. ASTA members were allowed to register early, since ASTA was an official partner in promoting the .travel suffix. More than 900 ASTA members took advantage of this opportunity.

As a way to educate the public about the harm card mills pose to the travel industry and consumers, ASTA published and promoted a white paper entitled What Consumers and Consumer Protection Agencies Should Know About Travel Industry Card Mills to the trade and

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consumer media. The paper examined how holders of card mill IDs differ from legitimate travel agents and what qualifications legitimate travel agents may have.

ASTA made it perfectly clear that travel industry card mills are in the business of facilitating deception.

Through ASTA’s white paper, consumers learned how to tell if they are dealing with a legitimate offer of travel agent training or a fraudulent card mill. The white paper also described the misleading messages and misrepresentations that card mills commonly use, such as ads promising glamour and the high life at a bargain, and the chance to make money with little or no effort.

ASTA’s Political Action Committee (ASTAPAC) achieved a milestone in 2005, topping $70,000 total hard dollar contributions, an amount ASTA members have not achieved in more than a decade. In fact, ASTA members out-raised numerous travel industry-related PACs, such as the Air Transport Association, American Bus Association, Holiday Inn, Marriott International and National Business Travel Association.

Contributing to the PAC’s successful fundraising efforts was the adoption of a “Charitable Match” program, which allowed ASTA member contributions to be matched from funds provided by ASTA’s Corporate Advisory Council (CAC) once the ASTA chapter reached a targeted goal. Through their contributions to ASTAPAC, travel agents continued to build political influence and strengthen their voice in Washington, D.C. To build new and lasting relationships between travel retailers and the general public, ASTA established a Consumer Day during THETRADESHOW, the new travel event premiering in Orlando, Sept. 10-13, 2006.

Consumer Day is designed to increase public awareness about the value of using travel agents in planning vacations.

Suppliers will also be on hand during the day to offer educational mini-seminars that promote travel agents to consumers. The message ASTA is sending is clear: the Internet may provide consumers with information, but a travel agent brings expertise to the table. Consumers will leave THETRADESHOW appreciating the exceptional value of that expertise.

Another key issue on ASTA’s Government Affairs agenda was realized with the modification of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code to protect consumers and small businesses from lawsuits by bankruptcy trustees. This initiative was in response to the Renaissance Cruises case, in which bankruptcy trustees sued travel agents to recover commissions of just more than $1,000 each; agents were being forced to pay legal defense and travel costs far from their home judicial districts in amounts exceeding the commissions at issue.

The travel agency industry is continuously subjected to critical legal challenges that no single agent can meet alone. That is why ASTA continues to speak loudly with One Voice on behalf of agents. This One Voice was used on October 7 when ASTA testified before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Small Business to inform them on the consequences Hurricane Katrina had on small business in the affected areas and what changes in federal policy would help rebuild the Gulf Coast.

ASTA also worked with other industry partners to prevent passage of hotel occupancy tax measures on travel intermediaries in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and the city of Millbrae, Calif. By uniting the travel industry as one voice, ASTA can accomplish great victories at the state and national level. Credit for these victories, in large part, is due to the involvement of ASTA’s grassroots travel agent participants who heeded the ‘Call for Action.’

4th Quarter – A Time of Validation ASTA began the fourth quarter of 2005 with mixed emotions, hosting its very last World Travel Congress in November. Concluding 75 years, Congress celebrated its storied run as the premier industry event before thousands at Montréal’s Palais des Congrès.

The festivities began with much praise, as the Opening General Session was held inside the breathtaking NotreDame Basilica of Montréal.

Other Congress highlights included longtime “Tonight Show” sidekick Ed McMahon entertaining the general session; Condé Nast Traveler’s Wendy Perrin receiving ASTA’s 2005 Travel Journalist of the Year; Susan Tanzman, owner and president of Martin’s Travel and Tours in Los Angeles, winning ASTA’s coveted Travel Agent of the Year; and longtime Travel Weekly editor Alan Fredericks being inducted posthumously into ASTA’s Hall of Fame.

During Congress, ASTA was pleased to introduce a new international meeting—the International Destination Expo (IDE)—debuting in Prague, March 2126, 2006. The IDE will focus on education first while immersing agents in the culture, attractions and travel business of each year’s chosen destination. Included in the program will be an open-floor trade show, one-onone business meetings with suppliers, product seminars, networking events and sightseeing opportunities.

Prague is excited to host the premiere event; Korea’s Jeju Island will host in 2007.

The IDE will have a strong emphasis on classroom education so that agents can become destination specialists in not only the host country but also the surrounding region. Unlike most FAM trips, agents who attend the 2006 event will have the opportunity to earn

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up to four specialization certificates from among 13 Central European destinations by the end of the trip.

Additionally, agents will meet with local tourism vendors in a trade show setting, providing a unique opportunity to network with the specialized vendors agents need to thoroughly and expertly sell the destination.

To help members know how to conduct business lawfully across the United States, especially when it comes to new restrictions on faxes and e-mails, ASTA compiled information on the fax laws of all 50 states and placed this easy reference on ASTAnet as the ASTA Guide to State Fax Laws. The Guide is a helpful resource for members to consult before sending any commercial faxes, listing laws by specific state, the types of faxes prohibited, the scope of the state’s law, enforcement mechanisms and reference to the state’s statutes—valuable information all agencies need.

Another reliable source for industry information will be a major research project initiated by ASTA, Marriott International and the University of South Carolina’s Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Travel & Tourism Industry Center aimed at identifying practices and characteristics of high-performing U.S. travel agencies. Information gained from the research will be used to develop learning programs for aspiring travel agents that will enable them to improve their operations, thus enhancing the attractiveness of the travel agency business for young people and new entries into the industry.

ASTA President and CEO Kathryn W. Sudeikis, CTC, received the Lifetime Achievement award at the third annual Travel Weekly’s Readers Choice Awards in December. These awards are given to individuals who have not only enjoyed extraordinary success in their chosen field, but whose impact on the industry as a whole has been significant.

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As a spokesperson and representative of travel agents, Sudeikis was recognized for enhancing the credibility of both her profession and her professional organization.

ASTA was extremely proud to learn about the award, noting that Sudeikis’ commitment to ASTA personifies why the Society is the leading advocate for travel agents, the travel industry and the traveling public.

Sudeikis’ impact on the industry correlated into increased exposure for ASTA in the media. Overall ASTA’s total impressions for the year are estimated at more than 470 million, as the Society presented travel agents in a positive light in such papers as the Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, New York Times, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Enquirer, London Times, Associated Press and The Wall Street Journal, and on programs featured on CBS, Fox, CNN and MSN. ASTA claimed a crucial legal victory when President Bush signed the Transportation-Treasury Appropriations bill, H.R. 3058, on Nov. 30, extending Section 145 for one year. Known as the Burns Amendment after Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), Section 145 states that airline passengers holding tickets from a bankrupt carrier for a particular route are entitled to transportation on a space-available basis on any airline serving that route as long as alternate travel plans are made within 60 days after the bankrupt airline suspends operations.

ASTA’s leadership in the extension of Sec. 145—the result of grassroots government affairs in action— helped ease the minds of travelers concerned about flying on bankrupt airlines over the holidays. Both consumers and travel agents will benefit from this law throughout 2006, and ASTA is proud of all its members who lobbied to get the amendment passed.

Looking Ahead to 2006 After enjoying a successful 2005, ASTA relishes the promise the new year brings. Every month in 2005 brought about change—be it a reorganization of ASTA’s administrative machinery; industry-wide political changes that positively impacted all businesses big and small; or altering the perceptions of consumers across the nation on the value of travel agents. 2006 will bear witness to those changes as ASTA boldly steps forward on behalf of its members.

The future success of the association lies in ASTA’s dedication to the business of selling travel. Adherence to this tenet will ensure ASTA’s relevance in the industry and success of its members—two pillars that are crucial for any association to move forward and remain focused. The business of selling travel will be paramount in 2006, as ASTA launches two valuable meeting opportunities for travel agents and suppliers.

The first new event—the International Destination Expo (IDE)—will further ASTA’s commitment to showcase international destinations by giving attendees the chance to learn the culture, attractions and travel business of Prague, the Czech Republic and all of Central Europe. The IDE was designed with travel agents and ASTA members in mind—it will provide an excellent opportunity for agents to become certified specialists in a rising destination while allowing significant interaction with both the local and regional tourism infrastructure.

The second new event—THETRADESHOW—is powered

by ASTA and ITB Berlin, making it the must-attend meeting of the year. Held during the second week of September every year in either Orlando (Sept. 10-13, 2006) in even years and Las Vegas (Sept. 9-12, 2007) in odd years, THETRADESHOW will unite under one roof travel suppliers and buyers from all over the world, representing every segment of the travel and tourism industry. With a set date and location, THETRADESHOW allows agents to plan ahead and enjoy unsurpassed convention facilities that are easy to get to.

Another shining beacon in 2006 will be the implementation of the New Business Model. Overwhelmingly ratified by our members in a September 2005 vote, the New Business Model will provide an array of online services for Core members, including peer assistance, an electronic library of resources, a list of suppliers that do not honor agent commitments and an industry business number.

Agencies that choose to become Premium members will be able to take advantage of working with an account management team, customized research, extensive networking opportunities and a higher level of involvement in federal and state government relations. ASTA will be busy assembling the infrastructure beneath these new categories throughout 2006, as they will be officially launched in January 2007.

ASTA will continue to reach out to the traveling public throughout 2006, beginning with airing the “ASTA Tip of the Day” on Sirius satellite radio. These two-minute spots taped with ASTA travel agents will run for the first 26 weeks of 2006 on the nationally-heard satellite radio program “Traveling with Paul Lasley and Elizabeth Harryman.” ASTA also will advertise the benefits of its members in a four-page supplement in the East Coast editions of USA Today in early February.

ASTA will continue to feed consumers with continuous, member-friendly information from every angle.

TravelSense.org, ASTA’s consumer Web site, will be populated with more content, destination articles and travel tips, all directing consumers to visit their local travel agent. ASTA will host roundtables in 2006 in cities across the country, in which member agents will meet with major newspapers and television networks to discuss issues affecting the industry and facilitate relationships for future stories. And ASTA will host more events educating consumers on how to travel better, safer and wiser by using the advice and services of its members.

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A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE

’m excited about the new challenges ASTA plans to face in 2006, for I know they will put our members in better positions to grow, prosper and earn much-deserved respect. For months I’ve been telling anyone who will listen: the best is yet to come. Now they will realize that 2006 is the year we will begin to see major changes.

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In order for any organization to survive and achieve success, it must faithfully adhere to a sound set of beliefs on which to base all policies and actions. Our core is the small business owners and agencies that form ASTA’s bedrock. I can promise you this: we will remain true to them. For more than 75 years we have worked diligently on their behalf on Capitol Hill and before Congress, while providing crucial business services; that will not change.

But I believe that if an organization is to meet the challenges of a changing world, it must be prepared to change everything about itself except those beliefs. For years, ASTA’s board of directors has been planning a metamorphosis. They knew that ASTA needed some changes to ensure the Society’s ongoing success. So they set out to guide ASTA’s evolution from an association for many into an association for all.

With the tremendous approval of our membership, ASTA is achieving our New Business Model. The next 12 to 18 months will see some of the largest changes in ASTA since we dropped “Steamship” from our name in the mid ‘40s. We will be pursuing a new strategic direction in membership, our governance, staffing, operations and events. By mid-2007, the new ASTA will turn heads.

Darwin was right. Those who don’t evolve, disappear. ASTA has no intention of ever disappearing. Get ready—the best is yet to come.

William Maloney, CTC ASTA Executive Vice President & COO

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