The TravelSense.org website connects consumers with professional travel agents, either based on geographical location, or by expertise, such as agents who are specialists in European river cruises or Caribbean honeymoons.
ALEXANDRIA, VA – The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), the national trade association that promotes and defends the travel agent community, is launching a “My Travel Agent Rocks!” blog as part of a consumer awareness campaign. The blog will be featured on ASTA’s consumer-facing website, TravelSense.org.
“The new blog will regularly showcase what an ASTA member did to help one of their clients experience the trip of a lifetime, or to save that dream vacation from disaster,” said ASTA president and CEO Zane Kerby. “This website both reminds the traveling public of what agents do for them every day, and brings new clients directly to our members,” he said.
The TravelSense.org website connects consumers with professional travel agents, either based on geographical location, or by expertise, such as agents who are specialists in European river cruises or Caribbean honeymoons. TravelSense.org brought $1.3 million in sales leads directly to ASTA members in the first six months of this year alone from travelers searching for a vetted travel counselor.
The first several blogs will be culled from the dozens of nominations made for this year’s Extra Mile Award that will be announced at the ASTA Global Convention on board Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Breakaway on Sept. 15, including the three finalists being voted on by the public. Voting ends today. In the future, travelers and agents can submit their own stories to the blog.
Travel consultants sell more than $86 billion worth of air tickets, $15 billion in cruises and $9 billion in tour packages each year, and this blog reminds the traveling public of the many reasons why ASTA members are the best resource for planning a trip.
“These inspiring stories that flooded in for our Extra Mile Award remind us again and again that, without an agent, you’re on your own,” said Kerby.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
