What:
The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) recently teamed up with London-based ITN Productions to launch “Travel Agents Taking Off,” a digital news program that covers current events and affairs and caters to an audience of travel professionals.
Why It Matters:
ASTA has tapped into a medium that has been, until now, largely absent in the travel trade. The program will focus exclusively on issues that travel agents care about, including coverage of the latest tourism hot spots, travel trends and technological innovations, in addition to editorial profiles of key leaders in the industry. The benefits of such an endeavor are twofold — the program will work to promote and unite the growing travel agent community while simultaneously spreading industry knowledge in a meaningful way. The series will premiere at the ASTA Global Convention on Sept. 25-28 in Reno Lake Tahoe, Nev.
Fast Facts:
- The news program is a result of ASTA’s effort is looking at new ways to promote professional ASTA agents to consumers.
- The premiere of “Travel Agents Taking Off” will come at the conclusion of ASTA’s Global Convention on Sept. 28.
What They Are Saying:
“Consumers are deluged with information on the Internet. In fact, the average consumer goes to 27 different websites before making a travel decision,” said Zane Kerby, president and CEO of ASTA. “This type of program reminds the traveling public that there is only one source out there for cutting through the Internet clutter and tailoring a trip toward the individual needs of a traveler, and that is a professional travel agent.”
“ITN is delighted to be partnering with the American Society of Travel Agents, particularly when there is so much happening within the travel industry,” said Simon Shelley, head of industry news for ITN Productions. “We’re excited to embark on this project to engage professionals from the sector and foster a collaborative effort to develop an accessible and sustainable industry.”
The Details
ASTA
www.asta.org
ITN productions
www.itnproductions.co.uk
