Posted on 08/18/2011 8:50:09 PM PDT by americanophile
.ASTA came out in strong support of the travel agency industry today in response to a statement President Barack Obama made regarding how the Internet has replaced many jobs, including travel agents, while speaking at a town hall meeting in Atkinson, Ill.
In his talk, Obama said, “one of the challenges in terms of rebuilding our economy is businesses have gotten so efficient that -- when was the last time somebody went to a bank teller instead of using the ATM, or used a travel agent instead of just going online? A lot of jobs that used to be out there requiring people now have become automated.”
“While the President’s intention surely was not to disparage the travel agency industry, his statement makes clear the need for greater education and understanding of the important role travel agents play in today’s travel marketplace,” said ASTA CEO Tony Gonchar. “ASTA has communicated with the president to ensure he understands the contribution travel agent make to the economy.”
In its letter, ASTA informed the president that today, the U.S. travel agency industry “is comprised of nearly 10,000 U.S.-based travel agency firms operating in 15,000 locations. We have an annual payroll of $6.3 billion. Most importantly, our businesses produce full-time employment for more than 120,000 U.S. taxpayers.”
Further, the U.S. travel agency industry processes more than $146 billion in annual travel sales, accounting for more than 50 percent of all travel sold, according to ASTA. This includes the processing of more than 50 percent of all airline tickets, more than 79 percent of tours and more than 78 percent of all cruises. It also helps more than 144 million travelers get where they want to go each year.
(Excerpt) Read more at travelpulse.com ...
What the ‘ell is the matter with that boy (no racial overtones intended)?
I use a TA for my cruises, she gets me great deals.
that boy just ain’t right! (none intended, either)
Shake down
Shake down
Yep!
This morning you out of touch moron.
No kidding.
Barry has no use for travel agents. He simply has his butlers arrange for unlimited-budget vacations. Barry runs his vacations the same way that he oversees the economy - with no regard to the costs. We now have our own royal family.
He certainly is the imperial president.
He’s a loose-lipped dumb-ass.
That as well.
I almost drove my truck into oncoming traffic laughing so hard!
..You, mean, they've invented a suction device for cleaning carpets..... but what will my wife do with all the spare time not beating the dust out of carpets.... they are putting wives out of jobs....(or something like that).
Yes, and he understands the lives of average Americans about as well as I really understand the lives of European royalty.
In America, that was today at 5:00 PM Pacific Time.
Our President is an IDIOT. Shout it from the rooftops!
Depositing customers’ checks? What’s that?
Is there a travel agent out there that can get Obummer a one-way ticket to Latakia, Syria?
The advent of DIY online travel arrangements has eaten a little into the travel agent business, but much worse for them is the generally failing economy. A lot of travel agents service business customers who don’t have the time or patience to be booking themselves on a public website like Expedia or Orbitz.
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