Ensemble Debuts New Discounted ASTA Membership Program

by James Shillinglaw October 24, 2016

Ensemble Travel Group became the latest travel industry organization to feature a program promoting membership in the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA). At the travel agency cooperative’s annual conference in San Diego, Ensemble unveiled a new program where its agency members can get a 20% discount full ASTA agency membership. Ensemble also said Marriott International provided a $50 subsidy to those members who decided to join ASTA during the Ensemble conference last week.

Ensemble co-president Libbie Rice said the group is happy to endorse the work that ASTA does on behalf of travel agencies of all sizes. “Our agencies greatly benefit from the advocacy work they perform, such as fighting unfair laws and practices at both the state and national level that would negatively impact their business,” Rice said. “We’re encouraging all of our members to get involved by joining this effective industry organization. And kudos to Marriott for ‘sweetening the deal’ even more for our Ensemble conference delegates.”

Ensemble’s move comes just a few weeks after Nexion became the first host travel agency to implement a direct-enrollment program for its network in ASTA. The program allows Nexion agency members to make monthly payments of $17 for a two-year ASTA membership.

Over the past year a number of other travel agency groups, including consortia, cooperatives, franchise networks and host agencies, have introduced programs designed make it easier for their members to join ASTA, either through subsidies or even mandated membership. They include MAST, NEST, Signature Travel Network, Travel Leaders Franchise Group and TRAVELSAVERS.