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ASTA Advocacy

ASTA promotes and defends the travel agency community at all levels of government and within every segment of the travel industry. Our advocacy team is engaged around the clock, fighting against federal and state policies that will negatively impact you and your clients and for policies that will allow your business to grow and thrive.

Thanks to ASTA’s efforts, travel agencies have saved hundreds of millions of dollars (over $133 million in 2019 alone) in new taxes, fees and regulatory costs. Plus, since the outbreak of COVID-19, we have been helping members navigate the pandemic for themselves and their clients, bringing financial support to travel agencies and the first-ever unemployment benefits for independent contractors.

We also fought to end the COVID-19 testing requirements for travelers flying to the U.S. from abroad, a serious deterrent to international travel. Our successes rely on the involvement of our members; we make it easy for you to stay informed and speak up to legislators and regulators on the issues that matter to you, your clients and your business.

STAY CURRENT ON OUR

STATE AND FEDERAL CAMPAIGNS

ASTA’s in-house government affairs team actively monitors legislation and regulations coming before Congress, the White House and federal agencies as well as in all 50 state legislatures for issues that might affect travel advisors, the industry or the traveling public and organizes campaigns so that the agency community can make their voices heard early in the process.

  • Travel Advisor Conference Concludes with the Society’s Most Prestigious Awards and Record-Breaking Funds Raised for Advocacy Efforts

    Suppliers and members contributed $500,000 at the annual Advocacy Dinner, where Matthew Upchurch and Vanessa McGovern took home the top honors.

    Read Article

  • ASTA Appreciates American Airlines Recognizing the Value of the Travel Agency Distribution Channel, Supports Robert Isom’s Rollback of NDC and AAdvantage

    Zane Kerby, President and CEO of the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), issues the following statement in response to the recent news that American Airlines will adjust course on AAdvantage and NDC implementation

    Read Article

  • Travel Advisor Community Aggrieved Over Senate Passage of the FAA Reauthorization Without a Ticket Refund Remedy

    The amended FAA Reauthorization bill approved by the Senate leaves travel agencies on the hook for providing airline refunds in cases where they are the merchants of record.

    Read Article

  • The American Society of Travel Advisors Doubles Down on American Airlines’ Anti-Competitive Behavior

    The Society expands its advocacy campaign to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), agencies charged with investigating anti-consumer business practices.

    Read Article

  • ASTA Applauds Congressional Funding of Travel and Tourism Office

    After nearly two years of advocacy efforts, the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) commends Congress for funding the newly created office of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism.

    Read Article
TAP INTO OUR EASY-TO-USE

ADVOCACY RESOURCES

Our Advocacy Toolkit provides time-efficient, powerful ways for you to advocate on the issues that matter to you. Sign up for our alerts and we'll make it easy for you to support our efforts. Take two minutes to complete a sign-and-send letter that we automatically dispatch to your legislators. Join our thrilling annual Legislative Day when we head to Washington D.C. and gather in state delegations to visit the Capitol and call on our Senators and Representatives.

GET INVOLVED

Advocacy Documents

Do you know how big the travel agency industry is in your state? What is the projected economic impact on the industry of pending legislation? Your federal and state representatives take your concerns seriously when they understand how important our industry is to their constituency and the potential effects of their decisions. Our fact sheets can answer these questions and more.


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THE IMPORTANCE OF

ASTAPAC

Established in 1979, ASTA’s political action committee (ASTAPAC) protects the interests of the travel advisor community by raising and spending money to elect members of Congress who support the travel industry. The PAC works for you by building strong relationships with lawmakers and providing ASTA with additional opportunities to share our most pressing concerns. ASTAPAC serves as the only PAC for travel advisors, educating elected officials about our issues and counterbalancing opposing positions. Legislators realize that ASTA's strength comes from the thousands of individual travel advisors who show their commitment to our shared priorities by contributing to its PAC program. 

 

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THE IMPORTANCE OF

ASTA ADVOCACY

New taxes. Onerous reporting requirements. Travel-inhibiting regulations. Our advocacy team is always on the lookout for legislative and regulatory threats that could negatively impact your business and your clients and empowers you to use your personal story and industry experience to effectively augment our advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C.

Thanks to ASTA’s efforts, travel agencies have saved hundreds of millions of dollars (over $133 million in 2019 alone) in new taxes and regulatory costs. Plus, since the outbreak of COVID-19, we have been helping members navigate the pandemic for themselves and their clients, bringing support to travel agencies and the first-ever unemployment benefits for independent contractors.

Sign up for our advocacy alerts, check out our advocacy toolkit and see how easy and rewarding it is to get involved. If you're not at the table, you're on the menu.

All Advocacy Resources
American Society of Travel Advisors

123 N Pitt St, Ste 400, Alexandria, VA 22314 U.S.A.
800.ASK.ASTA

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