The History of US Travel Advisors

Here's a look at key events that have played a role in the evolution of U.S. travel advisors over the last 130-plus years.

Walter A. Brownell founds Brownell Tours in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and escorts 10 travelers on an archeological tour of Switzerland. The luxury agency thrives to this day.

"Since its founding on April 20, 1931, as the American Steamship and Tourist Agents Association, ASTA has remained true to the mission outlined by its founding members," ASTA said. "In 1931, more than 60 agents joined an association that promised to protect and promote the mutual interests of its members, maintain a dignified code of ethics, combat unfair competition, stimulate the public's desire to travel and promote the use of ASTA members' services."

With travel agents booking 80 percent to 90 percent of all steamship travel, ASTA urged lines to adopt agent-friendly policies and tried to persuade hotels and railroads to pay agent commissions.

Allied Travel, now Virtuoso, launches in 1951; Leisure Travel Group, now Signature Travel Network, in 1956; and GIANTS, now Ensemble Travel Group, in 1968.

In 2008, the former Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates, Travel Leaders and Tzell Travel Group joined together to form Travel Leaders Group, now Internova, representing upward of 65,000 travel advisors.

The Institute of Certified Travel Agents (ICTA), which was renamed The Travel Institute 40 years later, "was created as a collaborative effort between ASTA and other industry leaders as an educational institution dedicated to advancing the professionalism of agents and the industry," the Travel Institute said.

In 1976, United Airlines unveils Apollo in the market, and American Airlines follows with the launch of Sabre, ushering in a real state of mass automation for the trade.

With transcontinental air service taking off in the aftermath of World War II, ocean liner companies were forced to reinvent themselves, placing a high premium on cruise ships as entertainment centers.

That shift was bolstered by the 1977 show, "The Love Boat," which featured Princess Cruises' Pacific Princess and a few other cruise ships. "The Love Boat" aired until 1986, beaming fun and romantic images of cruise vacations to American homes every Saturday night.

The U.S. government stopped controlling fares, prices and routes, "which spawned a kind of chaos because there were so many airlines and airfares to keep track of. Suddenly, travel agents and their GDSs were much more valuable to the airlines and the public, including significantly the buyers of corporate travel," said Nadine Godwin, former editor at Travel Weekly and author of the Complete Guide to Travel Agency Automation.

"The annual ASTA World Travel Congress was canceled at the conclusion of day one after an anti-Marcos faction detonated a bomb during the opening session, injuring 18," Godwin reported. "President Ferdinand Marcos was in the room when the bomb exploded."

"Delta Air Lines took much of the trade by surprise by announcing it was capping domestic commissions, effective immediately, at $25 one way and $50 roundtrip," said Godwin. "Most major carriers matched within days, and this was only the first of six steps that took base pay to zero."

"That new Web site was Travelocity, among the earliest of a new breed of travel agencies aiming to do business only online," said Godwin. "It was the first among those that would rise fairly quickly to mega status. It debuted in March 1996 and Expedia later the same year."

9/11 is a major disruptor of the industry, but travel always rebounds. The event transformed all segments of the industry, including the travel advisor community. But savvy, seasoned agents not only survived but thrived.

"Delta led with the last cut that took base airline commissions for U.S. travel agents to zero," said Godwin. "American and United led the way on the intermediate cuts, and the majors were consistent and quick about matching in all cases."

When the first issue rolled off the presses in September 2004, the home-based community was small but gaining respect. In the years since, the number of agents choosing to work independently has skyrocketed to 62 percent of all agents, according to a 2017 study by The Travel Institute.

Travel advisors and the industry at large may have been down, but they weren't out. By 2014, the U.S. Department of Labor numbers show a record month in April for the industry along with a return to employment numbers seen before the Great Recession. "Further solidifying its claim as one of the most crucial sectors for job creation, the travel industry banked yet another employment record in March, growing to nearly 7.9 million direct U.S. jobs," David Huether, senior vice president of research and economics at the U.S. Travel Association.

In 2018, ASTA rebranded its name from the American Society of Travel Agents to the American Society of Travel Advisors. "Travel advisor shot to the top in terms of what consumers think and feel they need," said ASTA President and CEO Zane Kerby. "They need the advice and the advisory services."

As the world shut down due to the pandemic, travel advisors go to work. "Agents spent countless hours on hold to tirelessly - and without compensation - deal with refunds, travel credits, re-bookings and ever-changing supplier policies," said Tom Brussow of Sunsational Beach Vacations. Not only did advisors save clients money, time and sanity, they surely proved and elevated their value to consumers in the process."

Many advisors believe once the vaccine is more widely distributed the industry will begin its recovery. "In no way do I believe that we will immediately return to 2019 levels, but there should be a sharp increase in business followed by a steady rise again," said Jennifer Doncsecz of VIP Vacations, LLC.