ASTA Opens Applications for its 2022 Entrepreneur of the Year Award

The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) has opened applications for its 2022 Entrepreneur of the Year Award, one of ASTA’s premier annual honors.

The award was first established in 2015 by Dan and Gloria Bohan Foundation to promote entrepreneurial spirit in the travel and hospital industry and, after a two-year absence, is back this year.

The award gives travel advisors, agency owners, travel technology start-ups, suppliers, and more the opportunity to pitch an idea that could “change the travel landscape,” and be awarded a $10,000 cash prize.

Nominees are graded on eight benchmarks—sustainability in the industry, evolution, experiential travel, proven impact, curation, marketing, growth, and technology. A full description of the criteria, including details on each of those eight benchmarks, is available here.

All applications are due by June 30. Each application requires a narrative statement of, at most, 500 words, along with a video, of no more than five minutes in length, describing the product or service that the contestant is pitching.

The applications will be graded by a selection committee of season travel industry professionals chosen by ASTA and the Dan and Gloria Bohan Foundation.

All applicants must also certify that they’ll be able to participate in ASTA’s Facebook Live event on July 27 should they be selected as one of the five semifinalists, and then on center stage at ASTA’s Global Convention in San Francisco on August 24 through 26, should they be selected as one of three finalists.

The grand finale, at ASTA’s Global Convention, includes a five-minute pitch to the audience followed by a Q and A session regarding the strength, weaknesses, and innovation of the concept.

Previous winners include Ashley Metesh-McCoy of Kinship Vacations and David Chait of Travefy.

The full application is available here.