From the day Aurelio Giordano became a travel agent, he wanted to be as independent as possible and a true entrepreneur.
"TRUE helped make that possible," he said.
CCRA's TRUE Code was established in 1999 by the Outside Sales Support Network so travel agents could be recognized as professional sellers of travel and receive payments directly from suppliers. The Code allows agents to connect with a host of supplies both domestically and internationally.
There is a host of requirements to be eligible for the TRUE Code. For example, a host agency must be a corporation, LLC or sole proprietor willing to pass a background screening and able to satisfy all seller-of-travel requirements for its state. It must also have at least six months of travel selling experience and actively manage the agents allowed to operate under the TRUE Code.
"Because it is an industry-wide travel accreditation, similar to IATA and ARC, I was able to hit the ground running," said Giordano of Ace World Travel in Brooklyn, New York. "Within the first three months of business, I had registered with roughly 50 to 60 companies. I was able to immediately start doing business, booking flights, hotels, tours and more, which gave me an immense amount of confidence. I now had access to travel resources worldwide and was able to justifiably market myself as a viable travel professional."
When Micky Dixon first got into the industry, she was not happy with the agency she was with and needed an industry ID to go out on her own.
"While I was on my way to qualifying for an IATAN, I figured that it would be tied to the agency I wanted to leave," said Dixon of Travel Planning For You in San Antonio, Texas. "One night, I attended a Mark Travel event, where I met the local chapter director of then OSSN, who invited me to attend a meeting so I could learn more. I attended and learned that I met all of the requirements for a TRUE code so, I applied for and received my own agency industry ID.
That was six years ago, and Dixon said her agency just keeps growing.
Giordano's business has moved forward too, allowing him easier access to trade organizations which specialize in different niche markets and destinations.
"From that point on, my network has continued to grow exponentially, in turn, growing my business and solidifying my place in the industry."
He is also in his sixth year of business, with access to many more resources that he says he can keep track of.
"I have been a hosted buyer for travel markets across the world, quoted as a reputable travel expert in several online and print travel publications and, in 2016, was awarded the Travvy Award as the Rising Star Travel Agent and even spoke at the New York Times Travel Show. It all started with TRUE."
The annual cost for CCRA Travel Agency Accreditation and the TRUE Code is $300 for the first year and $240 for each additional year. Benefits include no sharing or split of commissions, building volume and status with suppliers under their own name, choosing suppliers and selecting their own sales and marketing tools.
CCRA recently announced a new membership category-the Accredited Host Agency Membership (TRUE)-for travel agencies with up to 25 agents. Since 1999, more than 5,000 travel agencies have been approved for the code, with almost 10,000 agents operating under TRUE today.
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