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Advocacy Resources

ASTA promotes and defends the travel agency community at all levels of government and within every segment of the travel industry. Our advocacy team constantly tracks and fights regulatory and legislative threats that could negatively impact you and your clients and empowers you to effectively join our efforts.

Our advocacy team meets year-round with legislators and regulators to educate them about our industry and persuade them to support our initiatives, but we are much more effective when you—their constituents—are speaking out alongside us. ASTA is here to fight for you, but we can’t do it without your support. See how easy and rewarding it is to get involved. If you're not at the table, you're on the menu.

EASY WAYS TO SUPPORT

ASTA ADVOCACY

We’ve created an easy-to-use set of tools to empower you to augment our advocacy efforts efficiently and effectively. A simple effective first step is to sign up and respond to our advocacy alerts. This will enable you to speak out on critical issues with customizable, click-and-sign messages that we automatically route to your representatives.

If you decide you want to get involved in a more hands-on way by meeting in person or virtually with your state or federal officials, we’re here to help and we put the most persuasive facts and figures at your fingertips.

Advocacy Documents

Do you know how big the travel agency industry is in your state? What is the projected economic impact on the industry of pending legislation? Your federal and state representatives take your concerns seriously when they understand how important our industry is to their constituency and the potential effects of their decisions. Our fact sheets can answer these questions and more.


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Testimony & Regulatory Filings

Dec 20 - ASTA's Reply to American Airlines

Nov 30 - ASTA Letter in Advance of Congressional Hearing on Consequences of Delaying FAA Reauthorization

Nov 29 -  ASTA Letter in Advance of Congressional Hearing on DOL Overtime Rule

Oct 30 - ASTA Submits Comments to DOL on Proposed Overtime Rules

Oct 24 - ASTA Joins Coalition in Calling for Withdrawal of DOL Overtime Proposal

Sep 27 -  ASTA Joins Coalition to Support the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow's Workforce Act

Sep 25 -  Coalition Letter Requesting Delay in DOL Overtime Proposal Comment Period

Sep 22 - ASTA Formal Complaint to DOT over American Airlines Unfair Business Practices

Sep 21 - Employee Retention Tax Credit Availability

July 31 - ASTA Draft Complaint to U.S. Department of Transportation re: American Airlines NDC Implementation

July 19 -  ASTA Letter to House in Support of FAA Reauthorization

July 11 - ASTA to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Leadership re FAA Reauthorization (Updated)

July 7 – ASTA Amicus Brief in Havana Docks v. Royal Caribbean et al case (Cuba Travel)

June 13 - ASTA to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Leadership re FAA Reauthorization

June 12 - ASTA to House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Leadership re FAA Reauthorization

May 30 - Coalition Letter re: USDOL’s Anticipated Overtime Regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act

March 30 - ASTA to U.S. Department of Justice re American Airlines NDC Implementation

March 28 - ASTA to U.S. Department of Transportation re American Airlines NDC Implementation

March 15 - ASTA to U.S. Department of Commerce re COVID-19 Impact on Travel Agencies

February 24 - ASTA to House & Senate Authorizing Committees re FAA Reauthorization 

February 3 - ASTA Comments on DOT Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee Deliberations on Refund/Airline Fee Proposals

January 23 -  ASTA Comments to USDOT on Airline Ancillary Fee Transparency

December 15 -  ASTA Letter to Senate re: Visit America Act (S. 3375)

December 14 - ASTA Comments to USDOT on Airline Refunds and Consumer Protections

December 13 - ASTA Comments to USDOL on Employee or Independent Contractor Classification Under the Fair Labor Standards Act

December 8 - ASTA Statement before DOT Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee on Airline Fees

November 17 - TTA-ASTA-GBTA Extension Request for Ancillary Fees NPRM

November 7 - ERTC Coalition Delayed Payments Letter to IRS

October 25 - CBP Stakeholders FY23 Omnibus Letter

September 29 - ASTA Extension Request for DOT Airline Ticket Refunds and Consumer Protections NPRM

September 22 - ASTA Letter to House Energy & Commerce Committee on HR 6965

September 8 - ASTA Statement before DOT Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee on Airline Refunds

June 7 - ASTA Letter to Senate Trade and Tourism Subcommittee

June 2 - ERTCA Best Viable Option for Relief

April 13 - ASTA Relief Letter to Senate Leadership

April 13 - ASTA to WH Ashish Jha re Inbound Testing Order

April 7 - ASTA letter HR 3807

March 31 - Travel and Tourism Letter for DOC nominee Grant Harris

March 21 - Coalition Letter on Customs and Broder Protection (CBP) Staffing

March 9 - ASTA to Kentucky Legislative Leadership re Sales Tax on Services

March 2 - ASTA to Congressional Leadership re Relief + ERTC

February 28 - Coalition Letter Urging Inclusion of ERTCRA in Omnibus

February 11 - ASTA Comments on National Travel and Tourism Strategy

February 3 - Coalition Letter to USG re: Removal of Pre-Departure Testing for Vaccinated Travelers

February 1 - ASTA to White House Jeff Zients re Inbound Testing Order

January 25 - ASTA to Sen Scott re Cuba Travel

January 21 - Travel Industry to Congress: Provide Relief, Restore Travel Demand

January 19 - Coalition Letter on Employee Retention Tax Credit Reinstatement Act (H.R.6161)

December 15 - ASTA to Congress re: Employee Retention Tax Credit/Congressional Adjournment

December 15 - ASTA to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation re: S.3375, Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act of 2021

November 19 - Coalition Letter on Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Staffing

September 27 -  ASTA Comments to U.S. Department of Transportation on Ancillary Fee Refund Proposal

September 21 - ASTA to U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade and Export Promotion re: Legislative Solutions to Revive Travel and Create Jobs

August 31 - ASTA to Senate Finance, House Ways & Means Committee re: ERTC Restoration

July 28 - ASTA Letter of Opposition to New Hampshire HB 15 (Hotel Occupancy Tax)

June 10 - ASTA-ACTA Letter on Restarting U.S.-Canada Travel

May 20 - ASTA Amicus Brief in State of Florida vs. Becerra et al case (CDC Cruise Restrictions)

May 3 - Coalition Letter on U.S.-U.K. Travel Restart

April 15 - ASTA to Minnesota Senate Finance Committee re: Tourism Relief Funding

April 14 - ASTA Comments on Department of Labor Proposal re: Withdrawal of Independent Contractor Rule

April 7 -  ASTA Letter to Jeffrey Zients WH COVID Response Team

March 29 - ASTA Letter to National Conference of State Legislatures re: American Rescue Plan Funds

March 29 -  ASTA Letter to National Governors Association re: American Rescue Plan Funds

March 25 - ASTA Letter of opposition to Texas HB 2889 (Hotel Occupancy Tax)

March 22 - Coalition Letter on International Travel Restart

March 10 - Coalition Letter on Digital Health Passport Standards

March 2 - ASTA Letter of Opposition to Montana SB 52 (Hotel Occupancy Tax)

March 1 - American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) – Requests for COVID Relief

February 26 - Hospitality and Commerce Job Recovery Act of 2021

February 24 - South Florida Travel Agency Leaders to Florida Congressional Delegation re: COVID Relief

February 9 - ASTA to CDC Director Walensky re Standards for Resuming Travel

February 8 - American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) – Requests for COVID Relief - February 2021

February 1 - Coalition Letter on COVID Liability Protections

February 1 - Coalition Letter on COVID Testing for Domestic Flights

January 27 - ASTA Letter of Opposition to New Hampshire HB 15 (Hotel Occupancy Tax)

January 26 - ASTA Letter of Opposition to Virginia SB 1398 (Hotel Occupancy Tax)

January 14 - ASTA to CDC Director Redfield re Jan 12 Testing Order

December 22 -  ASTA to President-Elect Biden re: 2021 Regulatory Priorities

December 9 - American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) - Request for COVID Relief

December 3 -  Coalition Letter on PPP Loan Deductibility

December 1 -  Coalition Letter on PPP Renewal, Deductibility & Forgiveness

October 26 - ASTA Comments on USDOL Proposal re: Independent Contractor Classification

October 22 -  Coalition Letter on Safe Alternatives to Travel Quarantines

October 14 - ASTA Letter to Governor Cuomo (NY) re: International Travel Quarantines

October 6 -  ASTA Letter to Congressional Leadership re: COVID Relief Priorities

October 1 - Coalition Letter Demanding Immediate Congressional Action on COVID Relief

September 21 - ASTA Comments on CDC Request for Information on Cruising

September 10 - Aviation Coalition Letter on Restarting International Travel

August 10 - ASTA Coronavirus Relief Priorities

August 5 - ASTA to Authorizing Committees re Ticket Agent Loans

June 9 - ASTA to CDC Director Redfield re Restarting Travel

May 29 - ASTA to Asst Secretary Risch re Passport Operations

May 27 - Coalition Coronavirus Liability Protection to Congress

May 26 - ASTA to Rep Rooney Thank You DOL Blacklist

May 15 - ASTA SBA PPP Filing

May 11 - ASTA to NY City Council re: Earned Safe and Sick Time Act

May 11 - Industry Liability Letter

April 14 - ASTA Coronavirus Relief Round 4 Request to Congress

March 31 - ASTA to Treasury Ticket Agent Loans

March 30 - ASTA to Treasury RE: Ticket Agent Loans

March 21 - Travel Agency Congressional Request Sign-On Letter

March 20 - ASTA to Congressional Leadership Coronavirus Response

March 19 - ASTA Coronavirus Relief Request to Congress

March 19 - ASTA to House Small Business Committee RE: Coronavirus Relief

March 19 - Aviation Coalition Coronavirus Relief Letter

March 10 - Jay Ellenby, Safe Harbors Business Travel Group (Bel Air, MD) Oral Testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Small Business

March 10 - Jay Ellenby, Safe Harbors Business Travel Group (Bel Air, MD) Written Testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Small Business

March 2 - Alvin Adriano, Travelwise International (Fort Washington, MD) Testimony before the Maryland House Ways and Means Committee

March 2 - Jay Ellenby, Safe Harbors Business Travel Group (Bel Air, MD) Testimony before the Maryland House Ways and Means Committee

Brochures and Annual Reports

ASTA's downloadable library includes brochures, annual reports and research reports including research conducted by ASTA and third-party studies commissioned by ASTA.  

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Advocacy Video Library

Our advocacy video library is the place to learn about more about our work from elected officials, journalists, our advocacy team, and Legislative Day member-participants. If you’re thinking of attending Legislative Day. This is a great first stop.

ASTA Legislative Day 2023

ASTA Legislative Day 2022

ASTA Legislative Day 2021

About ASTAPAC

American Society of Travel Advisors

123 N Pitt St, Ste 400, Alexandria, VA 22314 U.S.A.
800.ASK.ASTA

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