About the Travel Retailer Identification Program
At its board of directors meeting in Chicago in November 2006, the Association of Retail Travel Agents (ARTA) studied interest expressed by travel suppliers that the agency sales environment was becoming so varied and robust that suppliers were finding it difficult to identify new and emerging agency sales channels, as well as being able to cost-effectively reach them with product and service information. In addition, travel suppliers and travel agencies alike were concerned about the growing number of benefit seekers which have plagued the industry for years.
ARTA, recognizing the importance of a more intimate and identifiable relationship between professional travel sellers and travel suppliers, approved a plan at its January 2007 board meeting in San Francisco to reengineer a travel agency identification system which would meet today's needs and objectives.
The initiative was given the title "Travel Retailer Identification Progam" or TRIP. ARTA will serve as the incorporator and facilitator pro tem of the corporation until TRIP seats a full, industry-wide board. TRIP was incorporated as a Washington, DC not-for-profit corporation.
Pending the seating of a full, industry-wide board of directors, TRIP operates today with a steering committee. The committee includes ARTA Chairman Barry Richcreek (Richcreek Vacation Center, Harrisburg, PA), ARTA Vice Chairman John Faulds, CTC (Travel Destinations, Scottsdale, AZ), ARTA Executive Director Pat Funk, Nancy Linares, CTC (Holidays 'n Travel, Austin, TX), Gerda Myer, CTC (World Travel Management, Woodland Hills, CA), Sally Watkins, CTC (Century Travel, Austin, TX), and Bruce Bishins, CTC (ARTA Canada, Toronto, Ontario).
At its January 2008 meeting in Savannah, GA, the ARTA board of directors voted to appoint Bruce Bishins, CTC to the post of President of the TRIP Corporation. Bishins brings an extensive background of experience to his new position at TRIP, including a wide variety of agency administration and training roles at major airlines, travel agencies, agency associations, travel distribution companies, the Air Traffic Conference (ARC's predecessor), and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).