ABC Global Services to Make Significant Investment in Travel Agency Advocacy

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 28 -- The American Society of Travel Agents issued the following news release:

ABC Global Services and the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) today announced an initiative wherein up to $10,000 will be contributed to the Association's advocacy efforts based on agency usage of ABC's services. Specifically, during the month of February ABC will donate $0.10 for every ABC rate code booked by its agency customers and $0.20 per ABC booking for all new customers.

Eric Altschul, CEO of ABC Global Services will invite "all of our agency partners to join us in supporting ASTA's advocacy efforts that are so important to our industry and make a difference in all of our lives. I am certain that our partners will want their voices heard in supporting ASTA and that we will achieve the $10,000 threshold."

"Advocating for travel agents at all levels of government and industry is job #1 for ASTA" said ASTA President & CEO Zane Kerby. "We are heartened that ABC recognizes the importance of our work and greatly appreciate this pledge, which will allow us to redouble our efforts to defend and promote the retail distribution channel."

For more information about ABC's initiative, click here (http://www.abcglobalservices.com/emarketing/emailHTMLs/ASTAAdvocacy/index.html?utm_source=ASTA.org&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=ABC+Global+-+ASTA+Advocacy).

Examples of recent ASTA advocacy successes include fighting for travel agents' access to real-time "transactable" airline ancillary fees through the GDSs and other channels; opposing job-killing sales tax hikes in 2013 in VA, MN and OH that would have cost agencies $170 million per year in new taxes; and helping to put a new travel insurance regulatory standard into place in 21 states, which will cut licensing costs, red tape and regulatory risk for agents. For more on ASTA advocacy, visit ASTA.org/Advocacy.

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