The American Society of Travel Agents and the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies applauded Royal Caribbean Cruise’s (RCCL) announcement that its brands (Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises) will begin terminating relationships with businesses it deems to be card-mills.

In a letter to travel agents, RCCL noted that it has a fundamental concern with the business practices of these companies and that it is taking this action in an effort to prevent a growing and troubling trend within the travel industry.

In a letter sent to Lisa Bauer, senior vice president of sales for Royal Caribbean, and Dondra Ritzenthaler, senior vice president of sales for Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises, ASTA said: We appreciate that [your] actions once again demonstrate the value of the travel agency distribution system as well as the importance of promoting industry integrity. [This] announcement is good news to legitimate travel sellers whose businesses depend upon consumer trust and to consumers who look to their travel agent for expert and professional service.

ASTA has worked long and hard to educate consumers and travel companies regarding card mills, and we would welcome any opportunity to work together towards this goal. ASTA has long been engaged in the fight to stop the proliferation of card mills and the damage these firms inflict on the reputation of professional travel agents.

ACTA has long been concerned about the acceptance of such cards by suppliers, as they are sold to non-travel professionals and ACTA certainly welcomed the cruise line’s decision. The association can only wish that many other travel suppliers, and hotel chains in particular, will follow suit and help the industry fight the proliferation of such card mill, commented Christiane Theberge, President and CEO of ACTA.

This fight to preserve the value and integrity of bona fide travel professionals was also behind the decision ACTA took at the beginning of this year to introduce a new ACTA ID Card recognizing Canadian travel professionals. This card with stringent requirements is already recognized by numerous suppliers who were unanimous to claim that travel professionals carrying the ACTA ID Card are the major sellers of travel products, concluded Theberge.