I¡¯ve worked in and around the travel industry long enough to know this: The work you do as a professional travel advisor is nothing short of remarkable.

You make memories for your clients. You guide families through milestone vacations. You help businesses move their people and products across the globe. You design experiences that change lives. You navigate a thousand moving parts¡ªflight schedules, supplier contracts, unexpected weather, world events¡ªoften without anyone outside this industry truly understanding the skill, knowledge and sheer grit it takes to do this work.

Through it all, you keep showing up. You keep answering calls at odd hours, solving problems before your clients even know they exist and advocating for their best interests. You do all this in the face of too many companies trying to get your clients to book direct. You fight through a world of people sliding into travelers¡¯ DMs, trying to scam them with a ¡°better¡± travel deal. You¡¯ve gone to battle against commission cuts, pandemics, inflation, internet booking engines and now AI.

That¡¯s why I¡¯ve called myself a travel advisor true believer since the days I used to write a lot more frequently here on TravelPulse.com. I believe so strongly in our mission at the American Society of Travel Advisors because I believe so strongly in you. I consider it a privilege to serve the professionals who make travel possible.

Why Your Work Matters

This is not an easy profession. It demands both head and heart. Our members prove that every day.

Take Flo, who spent 33 years as a dentist before finding her second career in travel. She started out knowing very little about the industry but within a year has reached the highest levels of her host agency. Flo recently completed our ASTA Verified Travel Advisor (VTA) certification, learning legal and ethical principles that gave her even more confidence and credibility. Today, she leads a team of 25, doubling her income annually while rediscovering her purpose.

Stories like Flo¡¯s are why ASTA exists. We¡¯re here to make sure every travel advisor has the tools, advocacy and community to succeed.

Trade show floor at 2025 ASTA Travel Advisor Conference. (Photo Credit: ASTA)

The ASTA Advantage

In addition to our education programs, ASTA¡¯s government advocacy has saved the industry hundreds of millions of dollars in proposed taxes and regulations. We fight for policies that protect your business, whether you¡¯re a solo IC or part of a large agency.

Our ASTA events, such as the River Cruise Expo, Travel Advisor Conference and Caribbean Showcase, connect you with suppliers, destination partners and fellow professionals who can help you grow at an industry-wide level. Local chapter events bring this same collaboration to your own backyard, providing a peer network in a profession that can sometimes feel isolating.

Through public campaigns and our consumer search tool, VeriVacation.com, we¡¯re also helping travelers find trusted professionals and understand the difference between booking online or with an Instagram influencer and working closely with a true travel professional.

Why Standards Matter

At ASTA, every member commits to our 12-point Code of Ethics. That¡¯s not just a nice-to-have¡ªit¡¯s a promise to travelers that they can trust the professional on the other side of the itinerary.

Travel agent serving clients. (Photo Credit: Dragana Gordic / Adobe Stock)

Professionals just like Jonathan, who has built a luxury experiential agency. He told me he¡¯s long believed that ¡°if advisors want to be seen as professionals, advisors have to act like professionals.¡± Even with years of experience and every credential under the sun, Jonathan found the VTA program eye-opening. ¡°If you want to be a lawyer, you go to law school. If you want to be a great advisor, you have to train and you have to travel.¡±

In a crowded marketplace where anyone can dance on TikTok and start selling travel, setting (and keeping) a high standard is how we protect the profession we love. That¡¯s why we invest so heavily in programs like VTA, in industry research and in members-only business tools that help you operate with both efficiency and integrity.

A Profession Worth Fighting For

I believe deeply that travel advising is not just a job. It¡¯s a calling, one that requires training, expertise and a commitment to doing right by the client. I¡¯ve seen the impact you have when you save a trip, elevate an experience and turn bucket list travel dreams into reality.

I¡¯ve also seen the difference ASTA can make for advisors at every stage of their career. Whether you¡¯re just starting out, like Flo in her first year, or you¡¯re a seasoned pro looking to raise the bar like Jonathan, our mission is the same: to support you, be your advocate and help you succeed.

That is our commitment to you¡ªthe advisors who keep the world moving. Your work matters. Your professionalism matters. ASTA is here to make sure the world knows it.

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