Chris Russo, ASTA’s president and Chair, greeted the hardy travel agents who braved one of New York’s worst snowstorms of the year, with the Bon Jovi song “We weren’t born to follow.”

“This is not your grandfather’s travel business, and we are working on being a different ASTA,” Russo told Attendees at the NY Times Travel Show last week.

“We have the best job for cocktail parties in the world,” he said, asking the audience: “What reaction do you get when you tell people your job?”

Two common answers, he noted, were jealousy and “Boy, I bet the Internet has really killed you.”

“My answer is that it hurt a little bit, but now it’s the best tool I have. What makes us better than the internet is specialization,” Russo said. “Travel consultants who have chosen to specialize have, on the whole, fared better than generalists. You don’t want to be a jack of all trades and master of none. That’s who we were.”

Russo noted that one of his agency specialties is destination weddings and honeymoons. “I drive a Sandals wrap car. We maximized our relationship with Sandals and yes, I drive one of those Hummers… everyone in my office wants it when the snow is coming.”

Hummer aside, Russo stressed, “specialization allows us to make more money.”

Russo said he felt the tide changing. “People are again turning to professional travel consultants,” he said, referring to a CNN special on the return of the travel agent.

“I feel like a cat. I’ve had nine lives as a travel consultant. Every five years we’re dead and buried. But people are coming back to us because they need help,” he said.

“They need us… they need someone to yell at,” Russo continued.

Joking aside, he referred to his flight into the snow-clogged NYC airport the previous day. “You have gone through snowstorms. When you book on line, who are you going to call? When you work with a travel professional, you know who to call.”

But Russo returned to the need for specialization, citing one young ASTA member who is chartering whole cruise ships for “Groove Cruises.”

Specialization requires in depth knowledge, first-hand experience and/or education and a combination of both. ASTA’s Niche Travel Specialist Courses as one way to jump in, he said.

He noted that specialization is essential if you want to be the best, noting that as an Oahu specialist, he probably knows Oahu better than his hometown.”Photos on the internet make everything look great. Our job is to tell people the way it really is.”

Most important, he advised, “find and follow your passion.”

Russo also noted that specialization allows an agent to maximize their relationships with suppliers or destinations and be viewed as an expert by suppliers and clients.

Plus, catering to special interest travelers   generally brings higher prices, higher commission, more affluent clients, and more referrals and repeat business, he said.