New Host Agency Group Launches Member Drive (1/25/07, Travel Trade)
Jan 25, 2007
Travel Trade
PATH, the Professional Association of Travel Hosts, last week announced that it is actively seeking new Host agency members.
Rigorous Process
“Everyone on the board has undergone the same rigorous membership application process to ensure that the organization’s high standards are upheld,” said Andi McClure-Mysza, a charter board member of PATH and president of MTravel.com, the Independent Contractor division of Montrose Travel.
“The Host agency business has evolved dramatically over the last few years and we want to work together with all hosts to ensure that PATH-member Hosts benefit from our organization and from what we believe will become PATH’s ‘Good Housekeeping’s Seal of Approval.”
PATH was formed in 2006 with several leading Host agency owners joining together to discuss the need for a forum for Hosts.
Through the course of several meetings, an executive board was elected, bylaws written and committees formed to conduct the work of the organization.
The complete mission of the organization is covered in the bylaws, but some of the key reasons for forming this new professional organization were to gather the best practices from across the industry, to provide a set of industry standards to ensure the integrity of Host agency operations and to help Independent and Home Based agents understand the value of Host agencies as they investigate choosing the most suitable Host agency partner, according to a spokesperson.
PATH members must hold to several bylaws, including: they must not market their service emphasis on travel agent discounts and benefits; they must be a member in good standing of ARC, CLIA or IATAN; they must have a minimum of three years in travel operating primarily as a Host agency; and they must have a minimum of 10 Independent Contractor Agents under written contract.
Members also must not market their services as part of a consumer recruitment process with benefits resembling a multilevel marketing scheme and must certify that there are no pending travel-related lawsuits concerning the payment of agent commissions and/or fraudulent practices.
