The USTOA has created a new Allied & Associate Member Advisory Committee to give its supplier members a greater voice in the association, the USTOA reported.
The committee will be chaired by USTOA board member Richard Launder, president of The Travel Corporation USA, Inc., according to Terry Dale, USTOA president, in announcing the committee's formation.
Assistant chair will be board member Roger Mahil, chairman and CEO of SITA World Tours. The new committee will be comprised of Allied and Associate Members, two active members and USTOA president, Terry Dale.
"The committee's initial goal will be to enhance the relationship between USTOA's Active Members and its Allied and Associate Members, creating a communication channel for the members to voice their opinions and suggestions to the USTOA Board of Directors," said Dale.
The first mandate for the committee will be surveying their colleagues to understand the key areas in which they would like USTOA Active Member support, and to develop programs that increase communication and/or benefits to members based on survey feedback and member input.
"We have long recognized the value that USTOA's Allied and Associate members bring to the association. Formation of the new committee represents a positive step in helping us as an organization develop greater relevance to our membership and delivering greater value for our members," says Dale.
The new Allied and Associate Member Advisory Committee members represent almost all sectors of the travel industry. Members are:
Airlines
Rohan Garnett, SVP Leisure Sales - The Americas; Qantas Airways Catrina Scheiblein, International Wholesale Account Manager; United Airlines Ground
Operator - Services
Ruth Mensch, VP National Accounts; Premier Alaska Tours Inc.
Hotels
Cynthia Perry, Travel Industry Sales; Marriott International
Marketing & Travel Related Services
Stuart Moffett, Director, National Client Group - Airlines, Travel Agents &
Tour Operators; American Express Merchant Services
Media
Lorri Robbins, Publisher; Recommend Magazine
Technology - Reservation System
Carolyn Cauceglia, VP Strategic Sales; Amadeus North America
Tourist Boards
Ricarda Lindner, Director - The Americas; German National Tourist Office
Malia Asfour, Director; Jordan Tourism Board NA
USTOA's Associate member categories are worldwide airlines, car rental companies, cruise lines, hotel/resort/restaurant groups, tourist boards, and trade associations.
Allied member categories are advertising & public relations, airport authorities, attractions, cruise operators, financial services, ground tour operators/services, independent hotels/restaurants/resorts, insurance & medical assistance, legal services, marketing & travel related services, media, museums, technology & reservations systems, trade shows, visa and passport services.
Visit www.ustoa.com.