April 4, 2008

Alexandria , Va., April 4, 2008 —ASTA announced today that the Specialty Travel Agents Association (STAA) is now an official 2008 International Destination Expo (IDE) Show Partner. ASTA’s 2008 IDE will take place in Lyon, France, April 12-16.

“The partnership between ASTA and STAA will benefit travel agents and consumers. The focus of this year’s expo is French and Western European niche travel, or specialty travel,” said Cheryl Hudak, CTC, ASTA president and CEO. “ASTA will help agents become more knowledgeable about this type of travel and once they return home, STAA will help them promote their new expertise so interested travelers can find them easily.”

Formed in 2007 by travel and marketing professionals, STAA promotes travel agents who specialize in niche travel markets and destinations. Agents who earn new certifications at the 2008 IDE will receive a complimentary, one-year STAA membership, valued at $199. STAA will also promote travel professionals who earned specialty certifications at the 2006 and 2007 IDE on its Web site. ASTA will promote its members’ certifications on its consumer travel Web site, TravelSense.

“STAA is proud to partner with ASTA and looks forward to connecting with agents who have made a commitment to specialty travel,” said Sandy McDowell, president of STAA. “Our goal is to help agents reach consumers and ultimately build their specialty business. It’s exciting to play a partnership role in ASTA’s International Destination Expo.”

Interested attendees can earn up to five certifications when they take courses on niche travel such as: honeymoon, rail, mature adult, soft adventure, gastronomy and river and barge cruising.

To learn more about ASTA or IDE, please visit ASTA.org. To find additional information on STAA, please visit the specialtytravelagents.com. The mission of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) is to facilitate the business of selling travel through effective representation, shared knowledge and the enhancement of professionalism. ASTA seeks a retail travel marketplace that is profitable and growing and a rewarding field in which to work, invest and do business.