I must admit that I haven’t been to a regional ASTA meeting in a very long time, nor have I attended the annual congress in a few years. However, recently I was invited by Club Med to the Long Island (New York) Chapter to receive a generous donation for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation on behalf of my daughter Annie, who has been fighting this disease. Club Med has long been supporting efforts to raise funds for research to find a cure.
The same evening, Long Island ASTA made a donation to help fight lupus and Crohn’s disease that had affected several members of the Long Island ASTA family. So in the spirit of being a travel advisor, giving back is only natural.
The evening’s presenter, Stan Enden of Enden Travel Associates, started the proceedings saying that specialization is the future, and backed it up with a wealth of quality, factual information.
Ending the evening was Steve Powers of Hidden Treasure Tours, who gave his firsthand reflections on Cuba, from where he had just returned. His presentation on the realities of Cuba was very insightful for the audience.
All in all it was a great night, with hearts warmed by giving and brains inspired by knowledge that embraces the evolution of the travel advisor.
Pictured above, presenting me with the check for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, is Jim Killen (left), Club Med’s director of sales, Eastern Region, and Jerry Mack, president of Long Island ASTA.