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The 2023 ASTA Global Convention, held May 2-4 in San Juan, Puerto Rico’s sunny skies provided a warm and welcoming environment for local travel advisors to network, learn and celebrate.
Nearly 900 attendees – including vendors, tourism officials and more than 500 travel consultants – gathered at the Puerto Rico Convention Center for a robust agenda of general meetings, educational workshops and social gatherings.
Educational sessions and destination experiences
The overall tone of the meeting was upbeat as attendees told stories about the trip back. A recent study by ASTA found, in fact, that 47 percent of survey respondents ranked vacation as their top discretionary expense — twice as much as the second choice, home improvement or renovation. In addition, millennial and Gen-Z travelers will spend 22 percent more on travel this year than the average American traveler.
Making the most of growth opportunities was a central theme in many of the convention’s educational workshops. As usual, the ASTA Global Convention featured sessions covering a variety of topics, including marketing, customer relations, embracing diversity, wellness tourism and creating compelling content, to name a few.
Puerto Rico Convention Center (Photo Credit: DepartureLevel.com)
Knowing greatness
The ASTA Global Convention is a time to recognize individuals and organizations for their contributions to the travel industry. Among the highlights was the annual Advocacy Dinner, which recognized the travel industry’s “top stars.”
Top winners include:
- ASTA Lifetime Achievement Award: Frank Del Rio, Norwegian Cruise Lines
- Paul Ruden Industry Ambassador Award: Roger Block, Travel Leaders Network
- Barbara O’Hara Advocacy Award: Rick Ardis, Ardis Travel
- John Haskins Chapter Advocacy Award: ASTA Mid-Michigan Chapter
Additionally, the New York City Small Business Network Chapter won the Robert L. Duglin Chapter Excellence Award, which recognizes an ASTA chapter that demonstrates conscientiousness, community building and overall excellence. Kyle Bohman of the Central Florida Chapter won the newly renamed George “Eddie” Woodham Chapter President of the Year Award. And Cabana won the 2023 Entrepreneur of the Year Award, receiving a grand prize of $10,000 from the Dan and Gloria Bohan Foundation. Dr. Terika L. Haynes of Dynamite Travel LLC won the Travel Consultant of the Year award.
Various travel industry suppliers were also honored for their contributions to the travel industry and their partnership with the travel agency community. Kristen Karst and AmaWaterways won an impressive three categories as Partner Company of the Year, River Cruise Line Partner of the Year and Supplier Medal of Excellence.
New Executive Committee
ASTA’s Board of Directors elected its new Executive Committee for 2023-2024 at the close of the convention:
- Chair: Jackie Friedman, President, Nexion Travel Group
- Vice Chair/Secretary: Lee Thomas, COO, ALTOUR; President, Business Travel and Travel Authority
- Treasurer: Kelly Bergin, CEO, Duglin Travel Group
- Corporate Advisory Council (CAC) Chair: Cathy Bedell, SVP, BCD Travel
“It is an incredible honor to serve as the new Chair of ASTA’s Board of Directors,” said Friedman. A big thank you to Mark Caston for leading the conversation over the past two years, and I’m excited to be working with this amazing group of travel professionals.
The convention gave Puerto Rico, one of the sponsors, an opportunity to showcase its destination. Participants were able to mix and match tours, including a “Walk and Tasting” tour of Old San Juan, a Bacardi Distillery Blend Experience, and a tour of the El Yunque National Rainforest. The welcome party, meanwhile, gave attendees a chance to experience San Juan’s newest major attractions, the Distrito T-Mobile, the entertainment complex’s restaurants, bars, music hall and Toroverde City Park, an indoor adventure park. .
“I am excited for this year’s ASTA Global Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico,” said Zane Kerby, president and CEO of the American Association of Travel Advisors. “I want to thank our hosts from Discover Puerto Rico, as well as all of our sponsors, speakers, vendors, and everyone else who worked so hard to put this wonderful event together. Over the past two years, we’ve seen the travel industry continue its upward journey, and every opportunity to come together is a celebration of how far we’ve come.” We feel it.
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