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Whether you're a seasoned veteran travel advisor or curious about starting a career in the space, you'll want to learn about what Fora has to offer today's travel professionals.

Travel Weekly’s annual Power List is out and this year the collection of the world’s biggest travel sellers includes an all-time high of 72 agencies.The Power List’s class of 2024 increased by 11 companies over last year despite the fact that a new $110 million threshold was established to qualify. (Last year’s qualifying threshold was $100 million.)The top six companies on the list for 2024 remain the same as 2023, though Travel Weekly says that’s likely to change next year if American Express Global Business Travel's (no. 3) acquisition of CWT (No. 5) moves forward.Also notable, survey responses provided by agencies as part of this year’s Power List compilation process reveal a “strong sense of buoyancy” throughout the industry, says TravelWeekly.Here’s a closer look at this year’s top 24 for 2024.

Welcome back to another episode of the TravelPulse Podcast!

As savvy as seasoned advisors may be on the nuances of travel, it’s not possible for them to have their fingers on the pulse of every destination on the planet. That’s where destination management companies (DMCs) come into play, say travel sellers who capitalize on their services.

In recognition of the vital role travel advisors play in luxury travel planning, the premier global villa rental company, Rental Escapes, is excited to announce the extension of its bonus commission offer. Originally rolled out for Travel Advisor Appreciation Month in May, this lucrative offer of up to $5,000 in bonus commissions will now be available through June 30, 2024.  

DALLAS - The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) announced at the 2024 Travel Advisor Conference that it would be making changes to its Verified Travel Advisor Certification program.

Custom tour operator Avanti Destinations is offering a new way for travelers and their travel advisors to easily access important travel documents: the new Mobile Documents app, available on all mobile devices. 

Cindy McCabe. (Source: Cindy McCabe)

Life is unpredictable. 

While summer might be beginning its swing in destinations across the globe, many travelers have just now started contemplating where they’d like to visit this summer. 

Shana O’Mara (Source: Shana O’Mara)

Luxury villa company Rental Escapes is celebrating Travel Advisor Appreciation Month with a bonus commission of up to $5,000 for eligible bookings made by travel advisors throughout the month of May. 

The U.S. government's agreement on a final bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) presents a mixed bag for travel agencies and advisors across the country, according to the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA).The organization was successful in its efforts to secure a provision that streamlines offline disclosures surrounding air travel and establish the Passenger Experience Advisory Committee within the Department of Transportation (DOT) to advise the Secretary and the FAA Administrator on improving the passenger experience in air transportation customer service."This will reduce frustration with the air ticket purchase process and lessen the unnecessary burdens on our members' business operations while keeping critical consumer protection intact," said ASTA President and CEO Zane Kerby about the offline disclosure victory.However, ASTA expressed frustration with DOT's new airfare refund rules that could negatively impact agencies by leaving them on the hook to issue a refund as the "merchant of record" even if they've already passed the funds over to the airline."We were thankful when the House originally recognized this important distinction. Unfortunately, the final compromise between the House and Senate kicks this issue back to a DOT that has shown a clear lack of understanding of how travel agencies book air travel," added Kerby.

Global Travel Advisor Day. (Photo Credit: Northstar Travel Group)

WHY IT RATES: Individuals interested in attending the marquee event will have to join the waitlist now.—Patrick Clarke, TravelPulse Senior Editor

The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) is celebrating Global Travel Advisor Day ahead of May 1 by giving away a handful of exciting prizes.During ASTA's social media contest, advisors can win a set of two roundtrip tickets on Southwest Airlines, registration for the sold-out 2025 River Cruise Expo on Vienna, Austria and a grand prize of a four-night stay at the new Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Resort.

WHY IT RATES:  The luxury tour operator is ensuring that groups booking private group travel get the attention they deserve. — Lacey Pfalz, Associate Writer, TravelPulse

February air ticket sales totaled a record $8.9 billion in February for U.S. travel agencies, a figure that is 6 percent higher the same time last year.This February’s staggering air ticket sales also represent the second straight month that agency sales hit such highs, according to Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC).“Americans continue to prioritize domestic travel in the early part of the year, with year-over-year trips to U.S. destinations outpacing those of international trips,” said Steve Solomon, chief commercial officer at ARC, said in a statement. “Airlines are seeing robust demand from both corporate and leisure travelers, signaling the continued health and anticipated growth in air travel for 2024.”February ancillary sales increased 34 percent year over year to $29 million, while ancillary transactions increased 47 percent to 476,633 over the same period.The ticket sales results are based on monthly sales data ending February 29, 2024, according to ARC.The information was gathered from 10,367 U.S. retail and corporate travel agency locations, satellite ticket printing offices and online travel agencies. The results, however, do not include sales of tickets purchased directly from airlines.Additional highlights from the latest ARC report include:

Lori Stephens. (Source: Kayla Smith)

The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) announced that its 2025 River Cruise Expo in Vienna, Austria next March has sold out.The news comes just two days after ASTA announced Vienna as the host city for the fourth annual event on March 12-15, 2025. A total of 1,500 attendees registered for next year's River Cruise Expo.ASTA is currently working to secure additional ships to participate in next year's expo to meet the demand. If successful and inventory is expanded, the organization plans to open spaces to individuals registered for the wait list in the order their name was added.Advisors can add their names to the list here."We are thrilled by the response to this unique event. We are even more excited to see advisors experiencing immediate ROI from attending," said Sarah Little, VP of Business Development at ASTA."Many of them have secured client bookings because of their social media posts while onsite. We are committed to creating more events that boost knowledge, relationships, and profitability."