The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) has created a Hotel Distribution Advisory Committee in an effort to better advocate for travel agents, the organization announced Monday.
ASTA said the committee will be comprised of travel agency and industry representatives specializing in the hotel sector.
The committee will serve a number of purposes, one of which will be to assist ASTA in understanding the latest hotel industry issues and their potential impact.
The panel will also prioritize the aforementioned issues before advising the organization on the best potential response and position to take.
"Each week brings a new reminder that our industry is ever-changing, and we believe having a group of member experts to call on will put us in a better position to do our jobs as the industry's national trade association," ASTA president and CEO Zane Kerby said in a statement. "
"We are truly grateful to the members of this new committee, who represent a broad range of agency business models and associated organizations, for the time and effort they are willing to put in to support their industry," Kerby concluded.
The committee will consist of the following members: Time/Travel Leaders CEO Shaun Balani; OASIS President Kelly Bergin; Lighthouse Travel Travel Advisor Marilyn Clark; Hickory Global Partners President Christopher Dane; JetSet World Travel President Julia Douglas; Virtuoso Hotels & Resorts Managing Director Karen Goldberg; Toni Tours President Toni Lanotte-Day; Signature Travel Network Executive Vice President Ignacio Maza; Master Travel and Cruises Owner and Corporate Travel Specialist Mike Reich and Carlson Wagonlit Travel Product Marketing Manager for the Americas Brian Wills.
ASTA said the committee will meet on a regular basis throughout the year.
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