According to an article on Travel Today, the widespread use of the intimidating slogan ‘without a travel agent, you're on your own’ is under threat after an unexpected clampdown by the US travel agent trade body.

The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), which owns the trademark of the tagline in the US, has written to national travel agent bodies, including the Australian Federation of Travel Agents and Travel Agents Association of New Zealand (TAANZ), to control usage of the phrase.

In New Zealand, agents have already been banned from using the slogan although the association itself is still able to include the wording in marketing material.

The Australian industry has received the same “License Agreement for ASTA Service Mark” document, with AFTA chief executive Jayson Westbury confirming he was in contact with the US body.

“We are in negotiations with ASTA,” Westbury said. He stressed that just because New Zealand agents can no longer use the phrase “does not mean the same will happen in Australia”. 

Nevertheless, the risk remains  that AFTA could become embroiled in a unwanted dispute with ASTA. Currently the phrase is adopted in a free-for-all fashion in Australia and AFTA would be expected to resist any attempt to prevent members from using the slogan.

TAANZ chief executive Paul Yeo confirmed that agents can no longer use the phrase but claimed it was not a major issue in NZ as relatively few agents have adopted the slogan.

“Had many of our members used it, we may well have gone back to ASTA,” he said. In Australia however, retailers have enthusiastically embraced the without an agent campaign.

AFTA began using the slogan more than four years ago after a gentleman’s agreement between then ASTA chief executive Bill Maloney and AFTA head Mike Hatton.

Similar open-ended, unofficial agreements were in place with TAANZ. But Maloney resigned earlier this year after 11 years as ceo following a contractual disagreement.  A new ceo has yet to be appointed, but without Maloney at the helm, ASTA wants to formalise the agreement with the Australian, New Zealand and other trade associations, with stricter regulations over how it is used.

Editors Comments: I think the slogan should be discarded, I find it unashamedly intimidating to both the general travelling public and the businesses that deal with the travel agents.  I take great delight in the knowledge that the slogan's veiled threat will shortly come back and bite them in the 'bum'.  It won't be long before travel agents and wholesalers won't have the awesome power that they once wealded.  With the advent of the internet and direct consumer business most of these organisations will have to tow a diferent party line, one that is consumer led.