Interview: ASTA’s CEO on the Travel Agencies That Will Win the Future
Photo Credit: ASTA president and CEO Zane Kerby. ASTA
Skift Take
Travel agencies need to get younger, and more creative, if they're going to survive. For what it's worth, some agencies are doing what it takes protect themselves from the travel companies that want agents sliced out of the industry.
At first glance, it seems like travel agents faced another tough year in 2015.
Travel brands like Lufthansa Group continued the push to get consumers to book directly, therefore eliminating the need to pay travel agent commission.
States around the U.S. also tried to pass additional taxes that would pare away the bottom line of travel agencies.
American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) CEO and president Zane Kerby, however, says that U.S. consumers have begun to embrace travel agents once again, even if the message hasn't made it out into the media.
Kerby, who is about to enter his third year at the helm of ASTA, recently oversaw the introduction of a reduced-cost membership for independent agents. He spoke to Skift about the rise of independent agents, how industry trends are helping travel agents and the ways in which smart travel agencies are preparing for the future.
Skift: Anyone following trends in the travel agency community knows that independent agents, and h
