Underscoring the increasingly litigious and complex environment travel agents operate in, the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) has released two new member tools - ASTA’s U.S. Travel Agency Regulatory Compliance Handbook and the Travel Agent’s Guide to Copyrights - both designed to help travel agents comply with their regulatory, statutory and legal obligations.
“ASTA members are, as ASTA’s tagline says, in the 'Business of Selling Travel,' and we are proud to provide our members with the resources they need to meet their regulatory obligations and protect their businesses,” said ASTA chair, Nina Meyer.
“All travel agents, including leisure-focused travel agents, need access to this critical information,” continued Meyer. “The release of ASTA’s U.S. Travel Agency Regulatory Compliance Handbook comes on the heels of a recent civil penalty assessment of $40,000 on a small cruise-focused agency for failing to comply with DOT’s advertising rules. It should be clear to everyone that these rules apply to travel sellers of all sizes and shapes, " Meyer said.
ASTA’s U.S. Travel Agency Regulatory Compliance Handbook is a plain-English white paper that explains the major federal statutes and regulations that directly impact travel agents. It not only outlines a travel agency’s obligation with each rule, but also provides supplemental guidance that ASTA has obtained directly from DOT in response to concerns expressed by members, ASTA said.
“I find it to be a great resource,” said ASTA member Suzanne Newman of LUXE Travel after reviewing ASTA’s handbook. “Our operations staff will appreciate having access to a clear and concise document that makes sense of many complicated issues and requirements.”
ASTA’s Travel Agent’s Guide to Copyrights explains the laws associated with how to safely obtain materials, such as photos and images, for professional use. Both documents can be found at www.ASTA.org.