With the goal of educating consumers about the value of using a travel agent when planning a trip, the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) announced…
With the goal of educating consumers about the value of using a travel agent when planning a trip, the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) announced that THETRADESHOW (Orlando, Sept. 13-16, 2006) will have one day designated solely for consumers, where both travel sellers and suppliers will have the opportunity to educate the consumer on their businesses and the best way to choose and organize their travel arrangements. The remaining two days will be travel industry-only and will feature a day of one-on-one business appointments, the Society said.
The Consumer Day will be a major difference between the traditional Congress and THETRADESHOW, where ASTA and our partners will reach out to consumers and invite them to our forum, where they can be part of a triad-agents, suppliers and consumers-all working together to find appropriate travel solutions, said ASTA President and CEO Kathy Sudeikis, CTC. Thanks to the Internet, consumers are better informed than ever about destinations and travel in general, but they aren`t getting the whole picture-that the Internet is a valuable resource when planning a trip, but it cannot replace the expertise and guidance of a travel agent.
Now, thanks to the Consumer Day, travel agents will have the occasion to show that they are the link between the traveler and the supplier community; that they save clients time by reducing information clutter and providing reliable and personalized information; and that they can and will exceed their customers` expectations before, during and after a trip, Sudeikis added.
Although still in the planning stages, travel suppliers and agents at THETRADESHOW`s Consumer Day will provide education on destinations, the value of using a travel agent, various travel products and avoiding travel scams. Because ASTA will work with suppliers who already work with and support travel agents, all seminars will emphasize the importance of using a travel agent.
Consumer Day will be open to all consumers; they will be charged a nominal entrance fee to walk the trade show floor and meet with exhibiting agents and suppliers who will be on hand to inform consumers about the services they provide and to urge consumers to purchase their services upon return.
THETRADESHOW will take place the second week of September every year and will be held in Orlando in even years and Las Vegas in odd years.
At THETRADESHOW, travel sellers will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with suppliers and to learn in-depth about their products.
Partners of THETRADESHOW include the National Association of Commissioned Travel Agents (NACTA), National Tour Association (NTA) and USA Today.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
