Celebrate Travel Advisors on May 6th for National Travel Advisor Day

National Travel Advisor Day is on its way!

Together with its industry partners, the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) is celebrating the occasion on May 6, 2020, and extending its recognition and a heartfelt “thank you” to travel advisors nationwide for all the hard work that they put into taking care of the traveling public.

This year, in particular, ASTA is inviting its members and allies in the broader travel industry to use National Travel Advisor Day as a springboard for educating the traveling public, policymakers and the media about the unique value—knowledge, connections, skills and capabilities—that travel advisors contribute when it comes to navigating the complex ecosystem of modern-day global travel, and will do even well after the COVID-19 crisis has passed.

“Travel advisors are innate problem solvers,” said Kerby. “The advisor serves as the consumer’s advocate in the event something inadvertently goes wrong. We saw this play out in full force during the early phases of the coronavirus pandemic where travel advisors spent countless hours navigating the maze of cancelation policies while also monitoring the best routes and options to safely bring their clients home. Our campaign, ‘Not All Heroes Wear Capes’, highlights many of these heroic efforts first-hand from travel advisors and client testimonials.”

On May 6 at 3 p.m. ET, ASTA will premiere its #TravelHero campaign video during its virtual celebration on TravelSense.org (the organization’s online, consumer-facing tool for finding a travel advisor). The video presentation will consist of a montage of stories submitted in March and April of this year. Featured advisors’ stories will also be highlighted on their own dedicated TravelSense.org pages throughout the year.

“We want to make sure the traveling public sees for themselves why working with a travel advisor is the way to go,” said Erika Richter, Senior Director of Communications for ASTA. “These stories will really bring the message home. Travel advisors have and always will go to great lengths to save vacations and problem-solve in real time under dire circumstances.”

She mused, “If you’re concerned about your financial portfolio, your 401k, your savings, you’re likely on the phone with your broker and your financial advisor, right? The same is true for savvy travelers. You need to be talking to a travel advisor. No matter what happens, you have a professional in your corner helping you plan and rearrange your schedule as necessary. The future of travel post-pandemic will have a strong emphasis on the role of the travel advisor.”

To join in the celebration, users can show their support by sharing their stories with local media or social networks using the hashtag #TravelAdvisorDay, use #TravelHero to share your save-the-day travel memories and participate in ASTA’s “Not All Heroes Wear Capes” campaign with your very own social media superhero graphic. Users can also use ASTA’s Advocacy Portal to communicate directly with local and federal legislators, let them know what advisors need and call upon them for support.

For more information, visit asta.org.