ASTA Wraps Up 13th Legislative Day in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – When the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) first launched Legislative Day in 2014, a group of about 20 travel professionals from a handful of states attended.  

Fast forward to the 13th ASTA Legislative Day, which just took place on April 20-21, and more than 200 attendees from 43 states gathered in Washington, D.C. for what is now a key event for the organization. Attendees engaged in nearly 200 meetings with Senate and House representatives to convey the impact of laws on travel advisors and why it matters to the larger economy. 

“Legislative Day is about showing up, telling our story and ensuring lawmakers understand the real-world impact their decisions have on small businesses and the broader travel marketplace,” said Zane Kerby, ASTA President and CEO. 

Showcasing the Travel Advisor Profession 

The jam-packed two-day event started with a first-timers’ training session on Monday morning, followed by ASTA’s annual Travel Industry Forecast. In the past, the remarks and panel discussions were held at D.C.’s National Press Club, but this year ASTA kept it at the Hilton Washington D.C. The Wharf alongside the rest of the day’s programming. 

Also new this time around, government officials spoke during the Travel Industry Forecast, including Robert O’Leary, the deputy assistant secretary for travel and tourism within the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. 

“You are truly on the front lines of this industry. You see demand shifts in real time in our talks with perspective and current visitors every day,” O’Leary told travel advisors. “In a world that is getting more complex, not less, travel advisors are more important than ever. You provide clarity, confidence, and expertise that no app or website will ever fully replace.” 

To officially kick off ASTA Legislative Day 2026, Kerby showed a clip of members of the House of Representatives speaking in support of – and unanimously passing – H.R. 5663, the ACPAC Modernization Bill, on March 24. If it passes in the Senate, this legislation will add a ticket agent member to the Department of Transportation’s Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee (ACPAC). One of ASTA’s goals in meetings on Tuesday, therefore, was to find a Senate sponsor to push the legislation further along toward final approval.  

ASTA members also advocated for the Flight Refund Fairness Act (H.R. 5556) and Modern Worker Empowerment Act (H.R. 1319/ S. 2228), same as at last year’s Legislative Day, six months ago in October 2025. Through discussion of these bills, travel advisors educated lawmakers about what they do and how the travel advisor profession works.  

On Monday, Jessie Klement, ASTA’s vice president of advocacy, encouraged advisors to talk about anything happening in D.C. that affects their businesses. That includes government shutdowns and fuel prices – so long as the conversation remained apolitical and focused on the business impact. 

Klement led training presentations and a Congressional staffer panel so that attendees understood what to expect. There was also a mock meeting on stage and time for delegations to prepare for Tuesday’s meetings. Plus, advisors got a special visit from Jacki Marks, global head of trade brands at ALG Vacations (ALGV), and Carson Kressley, TV personality and ALGV’s travel advisor champion, closing out the day to talk about effective communication – and fashion sense. 

Ultimately, advisors understood the importance of their assignment. Lindsay Taylor, executive vice president of TL365, a Chicago-based travel agency, spoke to Travel Market Report about why she attended her first Legislative Day this year. 

“There’s so much that is decided in the halls of Congress that directly impact what we do as travel advisors, but then also that’s going to impact our clients,” she said. “Without our voice, policies are just being made without any kind of understanding as to who it’s actually impacting in the end.” 

After meetings on Tuesday, the event concluded with a closing reception at the Cannon House on Capitol Hill. 

Legislative Day’s Evolution 

During the time of Legislative Day’s inception more than a decade ago, airlines were starting to charge bag fees, and ASTA knew it was time to ramp up its advocacy and government affairs initiatives. 

“That was a perfect example when ASTA started having some wins,” Jennifer Wilson-Buttigieg, head of policy at Chase Travel, who helped launch the first iteration of ASTA Legislative Day, told TMR. “Through the pandemic, we advocated for PPP funding. We advocated for our independent contractors. We needed to speak in one unified voice.”  

The event has grown both in size and scope, now not only attracting travel advisor members, but suppliers, consortia partners, and other industry leaders to be a united front for the travel advisor profession on Capitol Hill.  

“There’s nothing quite like a cruise line or a hotel company or insurance company or a rail or a car rental company, saying in a meeting with an elected official, ‘We need the ecosystem of travel advisors. Without them, we’d be losing a lot of our sales team,'” Wilson-Buttigieg said. “So we need to speak in one combined voice for the best use of the actual traveling public.” 

Over the past few years, Klement noted, ASTA’s presence on Capitol Hill has brought greater visibility to the travel advisor profession, and more lawmakers and their staffers are now familiar with what travel advisors do – but this work is still ongoing. 

Many travel professionals have now been attending Legislative Day for years, while the event still attracts first-timers each year as well, coming from as nearby as Maryland and far as Hawaii and Alaska. The next ASTA Legislative Day will be in June 2027.