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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 engages on your behalf around the clock, promoting policies that will allow your business to grow and thrive.

ASTA 2024 Fact SheetASTA's advocacy efforts have resulted in legislative and regulatory wins that saved the travel advisor industry an estimated $724 million over the last decade in new taxes, fees and other costs. This amounts to a savings of more than $8,000 for each of the 90,000+ travel professionals we represent.

ASTA is the voice of the travel advisor industry in Washington, DC, and in all 50 states, and 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 being considered in Congress, the White House, pertinent federal agencies and in all 50 states. This ensures we will be on top of issues that could affect travel advisors, the industry or the traveling public, and allows us to organize campaigns so that you can make your voice heard throughout 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 relevant information and efficient, powerful ways for you to advocate on the policies that matter to you. Sign up for advocacy alerts and we'll make it easy for you to support our efforts. When there is an urgent issue, use our easy sign-and-send letter tool that automatically dispatches to your legislators. Join us for our annual Legislative Day to visit the United States Capitol and meet with our Senators and Representatives. However you'd like to be involved, we make it easy for you to tell your story.

GET INVOLVED

Advocacy Documents

Do you know how big the travel agency industry is in your state? Do you know how pending legislation or regulations could affect the industry? Keep these handy fact sheets close by so you can share this information - along with your personal story - with your policymakers. As a constituent, your voice matters to your federal and state representatives. When they hear how legislation they're considering affects the communities they serve directly, they take note.


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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 and maintaining strong relationships with lawmakers and providing ASTA with additional opportunities to share our most pressing concerns. ASTAPAC is the only PAC for travel advisors, educating elected officials about our concerns and demonstrating that ASTA is a player in the political arena. It is truly a grassroots PAC. 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 ASTAPAC.

 

CONTRIBUTE
THE IMPORTANCE OF

ASTA ADVOCACY

New taxes. Onerous reporting requirements. Overly complicated regulatory compliance. 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 we empower 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 in new taxes and regulatory costs. ASTA's advocacy team works with Congress to voice the concerns of travel advisors, successfully demonstrated in the Department of Transportation's Ancillary Fee Rule and many wins in the most recent FAA Reauthorization. Plus, ASTA successfully fought to protect travel advisors' tax status in multiple states, saving your business time and money.

Add your voice to our army of advocates that are ready to engage and share their stories. It's easy to be involved and speak up on behalf of your small business. Pull up a seat - 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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