SHOULD WE STRENGTHEN OUR SELLER OF TRAVEL LAWS?

I have been criticized, chastised, threatened and sued by some of my readers while the vast majority of the travel industry thanks me for what I have tried to do over the last few years. As for me, my sole purpose was to make travel agents and suppliers aware of things that are or could be a threat to the existence of the professional travel agent. The biggest and obvious threats have always been the MLMs and the card mills along with specific agencies such as the former JoyStar host agency. I'm pleased to see many agents and consumers are now aware of the differences, yet, we still have a long way to go.

One of the underlying reasons these dubious business models continue to show up as well as disappear is that travel agents are a very fragmented, naive group and certainly without definition. No one has yet to come out with a definition of what is a travel agent professional nor what credentials they should possess. ASTA would be the most logical choice but they are still trying to overcome a reputation of years ago; although with Chris Russo as their President, they have an opportunity. There are the IATAN and CLIA photo IDs used for travel agent credentials that are offered to travel agents but lack consistency in determining who is eligible to receive the card. There are other photo ID cards issued by agencies that are worthless.

I believe we should continue working to find a solution that would result in travel agents speaking and acting with a strong voice and shaping their own destiny. However, there is nothing I have seen that has convinced me that the travel agent community, in its totally fragmented state, can take control of its own future. Organizations such as IATAN, CLIA, ASTA and NACTA are doing a good job, but are a long way from unifying travel agents en masse. With the surge of the home-based travel agent and the many dubious agency models, it has become imperative to do something to reign in those who want to take advantage of the professional travel agent and the consumer.

I personally feel that the only way the travel agent professional can become unified is first, by having the States adopt or amend their own Sellers of Travel laws that can by its requirements define a travel agent. This would essentially be the licensing of travel agents. I don't like politicians getting involved with my business however, I don't see any other way out without just leaving the travel agent profession in disarray.

I would start with the State of Florida. They now have the toughest Sellers of Travel laws; it is the cruise capital of the world and one of our largest tourist states. Amending their Sellers of Travel laws is not an impossible task. The lawmakers would need to see the benefits to the consumer, the travel agents, as well as itself via more revenue. More importantly, we really need the organizations to work together with this assuming they are not against the idea of improving the Sellers of Travel laws. Although the State may provide some form of credential such as a certificate, which they do now anyways. it will not be a hindrance to IATAN or CLIA providing their own credentials with production requirements which would include a copy of the agent's state license.

I have read Florida's Sellers of Travel laws chapter 559 of the Florida Statutes and the Florida administrative Code chapter 51-9 several times. By inserting additional verbiage such as changing the existing phrase, "Any seller of travel that has a business location in Florida or that offers to sell travel related services to persons in Florida for individuals or groups is required to register" to "Any seller of travel that sells travel from any licensed location in Florida or that offers to sell travel related services to individuals or groups residing, based, temporary or permanently, and departing from and arriving to any Florida destination is required to register with the State of Florida."<

I gave you just one example however, travel agent leaders can get together and work out proposed changes to the Florida Sellers of Travel laws that, if adopted, would have many states fall in line; especially the largest tourist states. Obviously, we need to partner with one or two lawmakers who would need to be convinced that this would be a benefit to consumers and would result in more revenue to the state.

I would like to work with travel industry executives who have the same goals to unify and define travel agents which will go a long way to help eliminate those who do not really have the interests of the travel agent professional. I look forward to your comments and suggestions.

This is really a two step process as the licensing of travel agents, state by state, shouldn't hinder the professional travel agent. The crooks, licensed or unlicensed will still be there although their numbers greatly reduced. The second step is addressed in the next article below.

Peter Stilphen, ECC
host@coralsandstravel.com

	TRAVEL AGENTS HAVE ONE STRONG AND SINGLE VOICE

I'm sure the above heading got your attention. That comment is as true as there is a Santa Claus and MLMs are the good guys. We all know the travel agent distribution system is fragmented without uniformity; without any definition of what is a travel agent and subject to suppliers taking advantage of the entire scenario. You have suppliers stealing clients, playing games with your commissions, debit memos from out of the blue, and accepting anyone as a travel agent as long as they can make a sale. Greed, corruption, untrained agents and selfishness (What's in it for me?) are very common traits in this travel segment. Other than the above, I believe all is perfect.

Some of you may ask, "If you feel that way, then why stay in this business?" That's exactly the reason I am still here. I did not originally come into this business as a travel agent or in my case as a CEO of a Host Agency. I had actually retired from the hospitality business and wanted to do something else at age 63 when I started this business 7 years ago. Over my business career, I worked with travel agents and got to know their strengths and weaknesses. I even remembered when agency owners would hire agents for minimum wage and a couple of FAMS per year. Travel agents are a different breed in that they love the business so much they will work for peanuts. This has not changed. However, I can see the younger agent coming in with a different agenda and willing to battle for his/her own cause.

Beauticians, carpenters and real estate salespersons are all required to have a State license in order to work. Travel agents are totally unregulated except for a few Sellers of Travel laws. In my opinion, this has got to stop. Travel agents need to be regulated because they can't regulate themselves. The travel agent must do business as well as being a trained professional. It is now my belief that if we can tweak the Sellers of Travel laws beginning with Florida and California, we can close down many of these crazy business models and reduce the increasing number of travel agent to consumer scams. The licensed or regulated travel agents would be able to create their own organization or become part of an existing organization as long as it controls and makes the rules for its membership.

So what can the travel agent do with a 25,000 travel agent member organization? They can have a STRONG and SINGLE VOICE. Anyone who is interested, please contact me at host@coralsandstravel. I would love to hear your thoughts as well as the possibility of creating an Ad Hoc committee to explore changing the state's Seller of Travel laws beginning with Florida.