It’s vital that as a company we remain actively engaged in supporting ASTA and its efforts on behalf of the industry, said Colpitts World Travel Executive Vice President Jeff Brown, who attended ASTA’s sixth annual Premium Business Summit.
Colpitts World Travel, an ASTA Premium Member, joined more than 100 of the industry’s top travel agency executives in Phoenix, May 22-25, for the ASTA summit. Agency executives, together with top supplier management and government officials, met to share best-practices and develop strategic solutions to some of the industry’s most pressing issues.
“Colpitts has been a member of ASTA for years and a Premium Member since the beginning of the program. It’s just one of the ways in which we demonstrate our on-going commitment to support businesses and travelers against additional state and federal taxation and harmful vendor fees and policies on a daily basis,” said Alan M. Krensky, president and CEO of Colpitts World Travel.
“At the meeting last month, we learned of many state attempts to create new taxation on travel which would disproportionally affect businesses. We are fortunate that ASTA has successfully lobbied against each of these initiatives and no new taxes have been levied," Brown said.
"At the federal level, ASTA is working hard to make sure airlines disclose their ancillary fees in all sales channels so businesses and business travelers can be fully aware of the total cost of their travel prior to showing up at the airport. These initiatives are critical to the ongoing success of our industry and our ability to compete on a level playing field," Brown said.
The group heard from U.S. Rep. Ben Quayle (R-AZ), who serves on the House Judiciary, Homeland Security and Science, Space and Technology Committees, and provided the group with a Congressional update on the latest in tax, independent contractor, TSA reform and visa processing issues.
Doug Hofsass, the associate administrator for risk-based security for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), spoke about the Department of Homeland Security's move toward risk-based security measures, including PreCheck and Global Entry.
Colpitts World Travel, a top travel management company, has offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and GlobalStar locations in 80 countries.
Visit www.colpittsWT.com