TRAVEL AGENTS OF AMERICA
PRESS RELEASE:
All travel agents throughout America are being summoned to a travel agents’ March On Washington on Friday, October 5th.The purpose of the march is to bring attention to the federal government and to the nation of the plight of an entire retail industry now on the verge of collapse.
March organizer and Atlanta travel agency owner Lawton Roberts described the March on Washington as perhaps ‘the travel agent industry’s best and last hope to finally draw serious attention to the needs of travel agents throughout America for immediate legislative and injunctive relief from the illegal and anticompetitive practices of the airline industry toward travel agents.’
Mr. Roberts contends that the travel agent industry has been ‘seriously weakened from over six years of illegal predatory and punitive actions initiated by the airlines that if not reversed soon will result in the elimination of the consumer’s only independent source of purchasing airline tickets, thousands of mom-and-pop independent travel
agencies who employ over 200,000 agents nationwide.’
Roberts further contends that the horrible events of September 11th have only further heightened the precarious situation for travel agencies that already existed prior to September 11th.
While Roberts applications for march and demonstration permits were actually submitted in late August prior to the terrorist attacks on September 11th, approvals have just now been obtained by the various police jurisdictions involved in Washington, D. C.
Roberts acknowledges that little advance notice is being given to travel agents who can attend, but points out the
importance of having a gathering in Washington while Congress is still in session.
Roberts further explained, ‘Although current events associated with the war on terrorism may result in an extension of the scheduled Congressional session beyond the present adjournment date of October 6th, there is no guarantee of that, and it would be pointless to call travel agents to Washington when their elected representatives are back home in their own districts.’
As far as objectives for the march, Roberts explains that ‘the march objectives I have suggested are simply a starting place and in no way represents a final list of needs or concerns.
Waiting on a list of objectives to be developed with industry-wide agreement would have been impossible within the time-frame we are facing, both from the standpoint of the Congressional schedule for adjournment and the immediate needs of our industry.’
Roberts, also author of the book “Unfair At Any Fare”, is calling on the support of travel industry trade associations and all other organized points of leadership among travel agents such as consortiums, franchisers, etc. to assist in the effort to assemble a large contingent of vocal representatives of travel agents throughout America from all walks of travel agent life.
Details surrounding the October 5th March On Washington including specifics on the march itself and its objectives as well as a place to register for march attendees can be found at a new website:
www.TravelAgentsofAmerica.com
Questions concerning the October 5th Travel Agent March On Washington can be directed to:
Lawton Roberts
Lawton@AlaskaTravelExperts.com
UNIGLOBE® Country Place Travel, Inc.
2000 Riverside Parkway, Suite 206
Lawrenceville, GA 30043
770-338-1184
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