The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) has joined with travel agent associations from around the world to form the World Travel Agents Associations Alliance (WTAAA), which aims to facilitate exchanges of information and advice on matters of mutual interest to its members around the globe.

Founding members of the group include ASTA, the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), the Association of Canadian Travel Agents (ACTA), the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA), Deutscher Reiseburo und Reiseverenstalter Verband (DRV), the European Travel Agents` and Tour Operators` Associations (ECTAA) and the Travel Agents` Association of New Zealand (TAANZ). The Association of Southern African Travel Agents (ASATA) has also joined the group.

Principals of the founding groups met in March at ASTA`s headquarters at the invitation of William Maloney, CTC, executive vice president and COO. They drafted and signed a Memorandum of Understanding that led to the formation of the WTAAA.

We were extremely pleased to help form and be an active member in this organization, said Kathryn Sudeikis, CTC, ASTA president and CEO. The new WTAA will create an international forum for consideration of common visions and advocacy on issues where there is a unity of interest. This is a historic moment for our industry.

The WTAA will also allow for exchanges of information and advice in the various international and national domains in which the members operate, including air transport policy, international cruise line policy and international hotel policy. It is expected to provide input into a wide range of travel and tourism issues.

AFTA`s chief executive, Mike Hatton, will be the WTAAA`s inaugural president, with the presidency rotating in member countries by alphabetical order by country name in English on an annual basis, with each member country serving a 12-month term. ACTA`s president and chief excutive Marc Andre Charlebois will be the inaugural vice president.