Earlier this year , more than 225 travel advisors made their voices heard at ASTA Legislative Day 2023 . With representatives from all 50 states , travel pros came together in Washington D . C . to speak directly to members of Congress about hot-button issues impacting their businesses . The event featured over 200 meetings focused on promoting the American Society of Travel Advisors ’ ( ASTA ) top priorities including topics surrounding the multi-year Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) reauthorization bill and the U . S . Department of Commerce ’ s $ 3.5 million funding request to establish the office of the new Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism .
“ Policymaking is a marathon , not a sprint ,” said Eben Peck , executive vice president of advocacy for ASTA . “ Our goal is to raise
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awareness about the critical role travel advisors play in the broader travel and tourism industry , and to secure support from as many legislators as possible for policies that will help our members ’ businesses recover post-COVID . Legislative Day is the most impactful thing our members can do to help make that happen .”
THE FAA REAUTHORIZATION ACT One topic attendees couldn ’ t get enough of was The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 , which is set to expire at the end of this month . Discussions surrounding the act and the Fiscal Year 2023 reauthorization process are expected to result in lively conversation , including several issues supported by ASTA like clarifying travel agencies ’ responsibility surrounding client refunds for canceled or significantly altered flights , adding a travel agency seat to
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the Department of Transportation ’ s ( DOT ) Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee ( ACPAC ), establishing a system for fulfilling consumer disclosure requirements for “ offline ” air ticket transactions and providing flexibility as to how airline ancillary fee information is presented to travelers .
And , as the source of nearly half ( 48 % to be exact ) of total U . S . airline ticket sales amounting to $ 97 billion in revenue in 2019 , ASTA believes a thriving travel agency community is a critical component to the continued recovery of the travel industry in 2023 . The organization urged lawmakers to support advisors and their small businesses in a post-pandemic world as ASTA member surveys as late as February 2022 showed travel agency revenue was down 71 % in comparison to 2019 . Pair this with staffing shortages , advisor burnout
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PHOTOS BY JASON DIXSON PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ASTA |