President's Podium - Education and the Industry

With our membership drive winding down, we’re looking ahead to the rest of the year and sinking our teeth into issues at the heart of our industry. When it comes to getting a good handle on the big issues in the industry, I find that the best way to do so is to talk to our members in person and hear what they have to say. On that vein, I was recently asked to speak at the Uniglobe East owners and managers conference on February 15th. At the conference, I spoke about the issues that ACTA has successfully dealt with in the past year as well as the ones that we continue to work upon. One of these issues which ACTA has been particularly active in has been education.

Earlier this year, ACTA Quebec regional manager Jean-Luc Beauchemin, in partnership with Uniglobe East’s Monique Audet and Transat, organized and ran multiple sold-out educational forums about different sales techniques. More forums are planned for later this year on various topics.

Other educational opportunities offered to our members through our partnerships aid both new and seasoned travel agents to gain higher levels of training than is generally available through traditional educational institutions. Examples of courses include the use of social media in travel and advanced customer relations management. ACTA continues to support and promote the educational opportunities offered by our partners CITC, RBC, Starwood, and various travel schools.