This week’s meeting of the Chapter Presidents of the American Society of Travel
Advisors (ASTA) in Antigua and Barbuda has the potential of increasing the
knowledge of the twin-island state among a very influential group of people, travel
advisors in the United States.
And according to ASTA board chairman, Jackie Friedman, having the leaders of
the various chapters of the organization meeting here in St. John’s gives them a
first-hand knowledge of the country, it’s attractions and people thus better
equipping them to ‘sell’ it to their membership as well as members of the traveling
public.
“They are able to get their word out because a picture or video speaks a thousand
words so there will be some organic promotion of the destination. I know a lot of
them will also have representatives from tourist boards at the local level so I think
you will see a nice bump in visitors to the destination,” she predicted.
Her sentiments were echoed by the President and Chief Executive Officer of
ASTA, Zane Kerby, who noted that the representatives at the meeting were the
local leaders who manage the day-to-day affairs of the society across the entire
United States. He noted that there are more than two hundred meetings each year at
the local level of ASTA
“These chapter presidents are going to go back to their home bases in the US and
talk about Antigua and Barbuda to all the local constituencies of ASTA members
throughout the US to tell them of Antigua and Barbuda’s riches, its features, its
beauty and everything thing else about the country,” he added.
He said as an organization, ASTA supports and defends its members at all levels of
government, within the industry itself and to the traveling public. It has
membership in all 50 US states and in over one hundred and twenty countries
internationally.
Sandals Antigua Grande Resort and Spa hosted the ASTA meeting on Monday and
Tuesday.
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