AMERICAN TRAVEL AGENTS LOOKING TO RESTORE TRANS ATLANTIC TRADE

 L-R: Eben Peck,(Asta’s Executive Vice President of Advocacy), Ken McNab (Managing Director of The Travel Company Edinburgh), Jennifer Wilson-Buttigieg (Chair of ASTA’s Government & Political Affairs Committee) and Zane Kerby (President & CEO of ASTA).

A large group of some of the most influential American travel agents are currently touring Scotland as part of a strategy to restore a once highly-lucrative Trans-Atlantic tourist trade.
They include more than 50 men and women representing over 20 of the Premier Members of ASTA (The American Society of Travel Advisors), whose minimum requirement to be in the group is a turnover of between $50 Million and $20 Billion per annum.
Prior to the pandemic it is estimated that North American visitors spent at least £850 million annually on travel to Scotland. This included tourism, business trips, meetings and events.
The ASTA contingent began their Scottish holiday on Sunday with a visit to St Andrews and a round on the Old Course.
The winner of the ASTA Travel Masters received the Bob Duglin Trophy, named after Robert “Bob” Duglin, the ASTA vice president-international membership and host agencies, who died last year.
The following day they were entertained by current Olympic Curling Champion, Eve Muirhead MBE, and for the rest of the week they travelled round Scotland, including Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dornoch, to remind them of what the country has to offer.
One of the highlights was a reception at Glamis Castle in Angus where they were entertained by a group of pipers.
Ken McNab, Managing Director of Edinburgh-based The Travel Company, who organised the event said: “Thousands of Scottish jobs rely on this trade, both in the travel and hospitality sectors.
The Pandemic brought the industry to its knees and the figure from Scottish sources showed that air traffic alone was at less than 10% of norm. Many companies that laid off staff, made people redundant and many also went out of business.”
He added: “Despite these hardships we received next to nothing in terms of Government support. Indeed, VisitScotland declined to assist us with this endeavour.
Our event this week is so important because it shows that despite everything that has been thrown at us, we are open for business again.”