ASTAnews THIS SEASON:


08 Go Cuba 09 Credit card chips 10 Special report


11 New appointments 12 Around the world 15 View from the top


WELCOME


IF YOU ATTENDED the ASTA Global Convention in Washington, D.C., in August, I hope you walked away with one thought — ASTA and ASTA agents are ready to retake the world stage together. If you weren’t


there, you missed gathering with 900 of your peers and more than 120 exhibitors on our sold-out trade show floor. We welcomed dozens of new members and, for the first time in nearly 20 years, the ‘Big 3’ — American, Delta and United — came, declaring, “We have your back,” and apologizing for staying away for so long. We launched a Global Travel Exchange that


brought together ASTA’s international members (mostly tour operators) with US-based agents in a ‘roll up your sleeves and let’s get down to business’ session. ASTA will bring you more learning and


networking opportunities next year. We begin with our Premium Business Summit in Charleston, S.C., from February 2-4. We’ll then march on Washington with our annual Legislative Day and Corporate Advisory Council meetings in early spring. We’re following this up with the all-new ASTA Maui Showcase from May 11-15 before heading to Seville, Spain, for the ASTA Destination Expo from June 2-5. And finally, your 2016 Global Convention will be held in Reno/Lake Tahoe in Nevada from September 25-28. In the meantime, our Industry team and


Government Affairs team are working to defend your business and keeping you up to speed on regulations, while our Communications team is finding new ways to promote you. Thank you for the important work you do every


day, serving your customers and serving your role as Ambassadors of Peace in a world that desperately needs the cultural understanding that comes from travel.


ZANE KERBY ASTA PRESIDENT & CEO


8 | ASTAnetwork | fall 2015


GO CUBA


Renewed momentum for Cuba


AS THE LEADING travel industry organization, ASTA has long been opposed to the so-called ‘Cuba travel ban’ in US law. Lifting the ban and giving Americans the freedom to travel across the globe without restriction will enable them to act as ambassadors of freedom and of American values. It will also bring economic benefits to Cuba’s neighbors and the travel industry that serves them, by sparking demand for new passenger routes, tour operations and travel agent services. Tis summer, the push to open up the Cuban


market to US travelers saw new gains. On July 22, Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) signed onto the ASTA-supported Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act (S. 299/H.R. 664), meaning that 46 Senators — nearly half of the body — publicly supported


lifting the ban. Te next day, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted 18 to 12 to lift the travel ban for one year through a bipartisan amendment to a Fiscal Year 2016 funding bill. While there is still work to be done, these


welcome developments provide support for the Obama Administration’s efforts to use the authority it has under current law to further liberalize travel to Cuba. In August, it was reported the Administration is working on a deal with Cuba to enable travelers to fly on scheduled commercial flights between the two countries by the year’s end, as well as to create an individual general


license for ‘people-to-people’ cultural


exchange travel. Today, to participate in ‘people- to-people’ travel, Americans must travel as part of a group tour.


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