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Congressional coalition backs fair treatment for travel agencies
The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) has praised efforts by a bipartisan group of 11 Members of Congress to remove travel agencies from an arbitrary regulatory ‘blacklist’~that blocks them from utilizing~an exemption from federal labor rules designed for retail businesses.
The group, led by representative Francis Rooney, has written a letter to US Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta to outline its concerns.
The letter says: "Travel agents – online, ‘brick and mortar’ and many hybrid business models in between – play a critical role in the economy and broader travel and tourism industry.
"We believe the inclusion of travel agencies on the…blacklist is contrary to the intent of Congress and [that] travel agents should be treated as any other retail business.
“Removing agencies from the blacklist ensures fairness…by protecting agency owners against audits and lawsuits while giving them the flexibility to better serve their clients in the dynamic and hyper-competitive travel industry."
ASTA’s president and CEO Zane Kerby added: "Travel agencies are the very picture of retail businesses, with employees regularly working irregular hours helping clients facing travel disruptions, and we think it’s indefensible that agencies are denied use of this exemption from labor rules.
"We are incredibly grateful to Congressman Rooney and all the members of this bipartisan coalition for taking up this fight, as well as to the ASTA members who pressed this issue during our Legislative Day in May and otherwise participated in this advocacy campaign."
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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