Virtuoso paying members' ASTA dues

Virtuoso paying members' ASTA dues

Virtuoso has joined the ranks of agency groups that are subsidizing ASTA membership dues. 

It will reimburse up to $736 per agency within its network, which Virtuoso said will fully cover membership dues for up to 85% of agencies and subsidize the majority of dues for the others. 

While Virtuoso is not mandating participation, it is removing the financial obstacle that may concern some agencies. The 62 Virtuoso agencies that currently are ASTA members will receive reimbursement for their dues, giving them the option of redirecting their fee toward ASTA’s Political Action Committee (PAC). Virtuoso has 355 agency members.  Both ASTA and Virtuoso expect that the number of shared Virtuoso and ASTA members will climb significantly with this added financial incentive.

“Zane Kerby and ASTA are doing good work,” said Virtuoso CEO Matthew Upchurch, referring to ASTA’s president and CEO. “Our community needs a unified voice when it comes to tackling industrywide issues, especially on Capitol Hill, and I know they are committed to that cause.  We are supporting ASTA in this manner because of its agency and travel adviser advocacy. The more agencies that are involved, the louder our collective voice becomes.”

Upchurch has served on ASTA’s Corporate Advisory Council (CAC) and was inducted into ASTA’s Travel Hall of Fame in 2004.  In addition to financially supporting its agencies, Virtuoso will continue to maintain its own Premium membership and CAC membership.

“Virtuoso has a long history of ardently supporting the entire travel agency community,” said Kerby.

Travel Leaders Franchise Group and Signature Travel Network have both mandated membership for its agencies. MAST Travel Network pays a portion of member dues.