How to use ACTA's new Directory

How to use ACTA's new Directory

ACTA's new directory is one of the best resources in Canada for consumers looking for travel agents and other travel providers who are trustworthy, reliable and friendly. Consumers will love its fresh, bright look and ease of use. Industry members will love the directory for its depth of information about ACTA members who deliver Canada's finest travel services.

You have two ways to enter the directory, by going to the URL, actadirectory.ca, or by clicking to the directory from the ACTA website through the ‘Travel Directory' tab in the menu ribbon on the website.

ACTA members can use the Directory Login to reach the secure members' area where they can edit their listings in a number of ways.

In the blue menu ribbon on the directory homepage, you will find tabs leading to: a return to the website, the homepage of the directory, About Us which is information about ACTA, Join ACTA, Travellers' Assistance which are links to various authorities on travel services and needs, and Register Your Business, a form for peripheral travel-related businesses that want to purchase listing in a special category of the directory. 

Each of the menu tabs is self-explanatory and contents will be very useful to consumers and travel industry members. But the highlight of the directory, of course, is the Search Facility with its categories ranging from travel agency to industry services.

Visitors to the site can search for an ACTA member in three ways. First, the visitor can type in the category of the company he or she wants to find in the ‘Search For' box. For instance, type in Travel Agency. Then, type in the box ‘Near' a city name or postal code. Click Search and the search function will take you to a local list of choices. The visitor can type in the name of a company with or without the location and that company listing will be found. Go to ‘Try the Advanced Search' and you can find a travel company by name, category, street address and/or city.

If the visitor clicks on a category (Travel Agency, Airlines...)  he or she will find a list of all ACTA members in that category or can narrow the search to subcategories. For instance Travel Agency categories include Corporate and Leisure Travel and Specialties such as Destinations.

The search will lead to a list of companies, each with a short description, address and contact information. One more click on any selected name will take the visitor to the member's full listing.

It is essential that each corporate ACTA Member take advantage of the extraordinary functionality of each directory listing. It begins with the corporate name, full address and contact details. If the member has a website, it will be listed. [Allied Members are not permitted to link to direct booking websites.] The consumer can Email this business right from the listing. The consumer can share or save the listing in any of a long list of social networking sites linked to the listing.

The company can insert a full profile – a description of the business and its services – in its own ‘About (your company)'.

Bricks and mortar agencies will have their locations marked on Google maps.

The Retail or Allied Member can be listed in several categories with these options listed.

It's easy and quick to add a photo or as many pictures as you want in your own Photo Gallery attached to your listing. Add photos of your friendly staff members or the exciting destinations you offer.

Add articles extolling your agency, your destinations, various modes of travel or about any travel subject you want and post them in your listing. You have a number of pages at your disposal to entice, inform and educate visitors to your listing. Add news anytime you want to keep your customers up to date on the latest travel happenings – or offers.

Satisfied consumers can add reviews telling the world how much they enjoyed the vacation or business trip you have created for them.

Video? If you want to join the fast-growing number of companies that use video to talk about their services and products, we can make that available too. We will arrange to have a video created for you – at a range of affordable pricing – and to put one or a number of videos on your listing.

This is your chance to tell consumers about your experience, expertise and success in making dreams come true for a legion of vacationers or business men and women. Nothing beats the credibility you get from a full listing on the ACTA directory. Don't miss your chance to show a full listing to thousands of prospective customers across the country or your community.

It's easy to create a full listing for your agency or company. Just ‘Login' or ‘Sign Up' in the right rail of the Directory using your supplied username and password.

Under the heading ‘My Account' to the right of your screen, you have all the tools you need to update your personal information and directory listing..

You can edit your account to change your personal information. It is important to update your account with changes of address, contact information or other data.

You can view summaries of Reviews and of Comments that you have submitted to listings and articles in the directory.

You can view all of the listings you have placed in the various categories of the directory and change the information in any listing.

You can add a business to the directory if your submission meets ACTA's terms and conditions.

You can log out of the members' directory and maintain security of your listing.

The ‘Directory Menu' in the Blue Box in the right rail is visible to all users of the directory. In the menu, you can return to the directory home page, browse any articles posted by ACTA in the directory, conduct an advanced search or see questions and answers in the FAQ which helps to explain various directory features.

At the bottom of the right rail consumers will find a directory of articles and blogs that have been posted by ACTA on the directory site relating to each of the categories in the directory.