Our Editor cum Director of Compact Travels caught up with Cheryl Hudak, CEO, & William Maloney (also known as Bill), COO, of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) during the International Destination Expo (IDE) held earlier this year in Lyon, France. Here Cheryl & Bill share with us their views on the importance of international tourism forums, the growth of ASTA and the joy of travelling.

As the CEO and COO, respectively, of ASTA, what are your responsibilities in general regarding the largest travel organization in the world?
Cheryl Hudak (CH): I am responsible for keeping the plan and mission of ASTA in line. I work closely with a Board of Directors. I also have 31 Chapter Presidents in the United States and 40+ international Chapter Presidents. I work with all of them in making sure that the mission of ASTA is carried out. We are dedicated to the business of selling travel and we are working with travel agents who are also dedicated to the business of selling travel. My goal is to make sure that we are headed and focussed in the right direction.

William Maloney (WM): I am the Executive Director of the Association. All permanent staff and the secretary report to me. I am the paid employee who runs the association; the president of ASTA is a volunteer.

How long have you been associated with the travel industry and ASTA?
CH: I entered the travel industry in 1981. I opened my own agency in 1985. In 1996 I purchased another agency and last December of 2007 I purchased my third agency. It has been great. I love it. I think you develop a passion for the travel industry once you become a part of it, whether you are a supplier or an agent. Everyone I have met in the industry has been passionate. They love what they do. As a supplier, they want the best to offer to the travel agent. As a travel agent, they want the best for their client. I think it is just the love of the industry and what we do. We also get to meet wonderful people like yourself and many others around this room that make it all worthwhile.

I have been associated with ASTA since late 1986. I became a member soon after I opened my first agency and I have been associated ever since. I have been active as an officer for the last 14 years. I have realized the benefits that ASTA offers and the fact that you cannot do it on your own. You need the support of an organization and a great organization like ASTA helps us all.

WH: I entered the travel trade as a management trainee in the airline business after I left college and the military service. I enjoyed the airline industry, but my company was merged or sold. I then got into the travel agency business and it was a different side of the same thing: the retail sale of travel. After that I worked for a telephone company in the US, but I wanted to get back into the travel business. Later, I got into the car rental business. All together I have spent over 35 years in the travel industry; I have been associated with ASTA for 9 years. On the supplier side, on the agency side and now on the associate side. It is in my blood.

How did the International Destinations Expo (IDE) first evolve? What was the concept behind it?
WM: Travel agents need to travel. They need to experience the product. They need to see these countries. And the countries want to have travel agents and journalists come to their destination. Our objective was to find a way to specialize in one particular area.

Today travellers can find out so much information themselves on the internet that it is impossible for the travel agent to know more than all of the travellers. Travel agents therefore need to find a way to add value to the purchase of travel. We wanted to have a platform where travel agents could come and experience the destination. They could get world-class education about destinations and they could establish business relationships with new people in the industry whom they never would have met before. They can say “I know people from France. I know people from Germany. I have met them and I have been there. I can get you special treatment. I can make special arrangements.”

How do you decide on the destination for the IDE because it has always been very interesting destinations such as Korea and the Czech Republic, and now Lyon followed by South Africa in the coming year?
CH: Countries or destinations first come to us with their interests. We send out a bid or proposal. They reply to that. We acquire all the information we need with the support of the local government. It is then reviewed by ASTA's Board of Directors. We look at what is being offered and what we feel would be best for our membership. We choose the destination that way.

When we chose South Africa and Turkey in 2009 and 2010 respectively, just like Lyon, they were unique destinations; places that not all of our members have been to. I think many people dream of visiting South Africa. And when they see what it has to offer, I think they will be truly amazed. I had the opportunity to be there last July. The culture and diversity that South Africa has to offer is astounding.

What has been the response of the travel agents to the IDE vis-à-vis the other trade shows that you organize such as the trade shows you organize in the United States?
WM: The US show is domestic and it is only a trade show. We do not offer sightseeing and we do not offer entertainment. It is a shorter program and much less expensive, but more choice is available because it is a bigger show. We strive to conduct the IDE in different countries, in different parts of the world so travel agents can get exposure to different cultures, people and products.

Do you see more of these IDE workshops taking over the regular trade shows because they seem to be gaining in popularity every year?
CH: They are definitely gaining in popularity. We will always be going forward with IDE and moving throughout the world. That will be our spring. It is really about destination training. That is the whole purpose of IDE. When you walk away from here three days from now, you will be an in-depth France specialist. We concentrate on training here. In the Fall we will have our domestic trade show catering to frontline agents. Again you have great training there. It is obviously a larger trade show because of who we are inviting. I think however both shows are unique in their own ways. I think you will see something like this every Spring going forward. And in the Fall you will see us in either Las Vegas or Orlando.

As Asia is one of the fastest growing markets, do you plan to have any of these events in the emerging countries like India and China?
WM: We would love to conduct events in Asia. We have a commitment to go to Asia every 2-3 years. We were in Korea last year and we have been speaking with organizations from Thailand, China and India. We would love to come into Asia again and are looking forward to that.

How can international travel agents benefit from these events? What are the facilities you offer as part of ASTA and networking?
CH: I sell travel and I want to know who I am dealing with. I have had the chance to meet you. I have met someone from Cambodia. People from all over the world have been here. It gives me a secure feeling to know if I am going to book with you, I know who you are. There are times when you are dealing with international agents that if you do not know them personally you might be a little wary. Now however after having put a name and face together, I know what you have to offer. It makes me more comfortable to offer you to my clients. I think you can benefit from networking. We have an area of the expo dedicated to networking. There are probably 20 agents over there, both domestic and international, talking and discussing what they want from each other. It is the perfect opportunity to discuss your needs and perhaps someone will book what you have to offer.

WM: We have an International Global Business Day as part of this exhibition. International travel agents can come and have their own separate programme. We have a meeting of the Chapter Presidents. We have a seminar and an exchange platform just for the agents so that they can meet one another. We also have a special time during the trade show where the international agents can meet the American agents. Accordingly there are at least 3 or 4 different opportunities at all of our shows for international agents, even if they do not have a booth, to make sure they learn more about the US market and, more importantly, to establish other international relations.

The biggest challenge today in the travel industry is the advent of online booking and the competition faced because of that. How long can an agent survive and what are the areas that one can get into to ensure that there is growth in the trade?
CH: Over the last couple of years many of our agents have been online agents and many of our agents sell online now. We have always had competition. You can go back 10-20 years. It has been various kinds of competition but we have always had it. It is just a matter of learning how to harness and benefit from the resources available to us now, i.e. the new information and technology. The internet is a great way to communicate with our clients. Originally I had to send out information by post. Then I was able to fax it to them. Today I can email it to them and they can view the information in minutes at their desktop. It is a great resource and there is a great wealth of information which we are able to communicate more efficiently. It is not necessarily a bad thing. We look at it as a way to talk to our clients and to get them the information as quickly as possible.

There are some clients that book online. There are some clients when booking online are booking with travel agents. I think the key factor that travel agents have to offer is value. You are going to come to me because I am going to offer you something that you are not going to find any place else. I can tell you that I have been to the destination and experienced its qualities firsthand. Lyon is a perfect example. You can search for information yourself, but I can tell you I have been to Lyon. I can recommend the perfect restaurant. I can tell you why you should see some places and not others. It is not the information that you are necessarily going to find online. One of the things that we try to stress to our clients is that we are there before the trip, during the trip and after the trip. If problems occur while travelling, I will be there to help you. If you have booked online, what are you going to do? There is no help for you. The things we have to offer to our clients are value and service.

WM: You can buy a suit or a shirt at many stores around the world, but tailors still exist. And people pay a lot of money to go to a fine tailor. Travel agents will be the same way. You can find cheap internet vacations, train tickets, low-cost air carriers and cheap hotels online. If however you want to spend thousands of dollars on an expensive trip, you should deal with a specialist. At ASTA we say that without an ASTA travel agent, you are on your own.

As the tourism industry is constantly evolving, what will be the focus of ASTA in 2008-09?
WM: In 2008 we will be launching a new programme called International Premium Members. We have had Premium Members at ASTA for the past year and a half. Accordingly we have regular travel agency members and we have the Premium Members. We have the Board of Directors meeting here in Lyon who has approved the expansion of the Premium Members to International. Now the International agents will be able to avail themselves of a wide variety of new concierge-like services.

CH: We will also definitely continue to pursue our advocate program. We are looking at legislation primarily for the domestic agents. We are also focussing on getting the consumer to realize the value of using a travel agent. That benefits all of us throughout the world. Our website is also evolving daily. It is growing all the time. There is a wealth of information there.

Looking forward, we will strive to create more platforms for international networking and forums where we can bring both domestic and international agents together. We will continue to focus on training. We can all benefit from training and it brings value to us as travel agents to take back to our consumers.

Since the International Destinations Expo is held in Lyon, what are your impressions about Lyon and your overall experience throughout the last few days?
CH: Lyon is wonderful. I think a lot of our clients know of Paris. Obviously the first time when someone comes to France, it is to Paris. But if they are looking for different experiences, I think Lyon is a wonderful destination. It has so much to offer: great food, wonderful wines, beautiful scenery, and very friendly people. It is also very easy to get around. The different sections of Lyon all have different things to offer. When you get into the Old Town, it is absolutely beautiful. There is a lot of history in this area. It is also very convenient and accessible to our clients as it is just a two hour train ride from Paris. When we get home, we will definitely all recommend it.

WM: I love Lyon. Lyon is not only the gastronomic capital of France, but it is also a wonderful city at the crossroads of many cultures. It is close to Switzerland, Spain and the Mediterranean. The people are extremely friendly. It is a charming city. I urge more travellers to experience Lyon.

Lastly, your message to readers:
WM: ASTA is dedicated to the business of selling travel. We exist to serve the professionals in the travel business. For travel agents, it provides a good platform to enhance their business and improve their education. You can trust and buy travel from the people associated with ASTA.

CH: As travel agents, our primary objective is bringing value to the table. If you have never used a travel agent I would recommend that you try one. You need to talk to travel agents and see if what they have to offer fulfils your needs. As far as travelling is concerned, it is the best thing in the world. It is an amazing world out there. I can truly say that every place I have visited I have enjoyed. It is always interesting to meet new people and experience new cultures. If you have the opportunity to travel, I would certainly recommend doing it. As for the future, it is always interesting to see the new destinations that crop up. South Africa is a perfect example. It has certainly been around for a while but now it has given us a new perspective as to what it has to offer. It will be very interesting to discover the treasures of South Africa as well as the rest of the world.

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