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Distribution Strategy and Standards
to be Highlighted at Open AXIS Forum
ARTA Canada President Bruce Bishins, CTC
to Present Travel Agency Perspective
Toronto, 16 February 2011: Canada's Association of Retail Travel Agents (ARTA Canada) announced today that the association's president, Bruce Bishins, CTC will present a speech to airline and travel technology executives at the Open AXIS Group Strategy and Standards Forum to be held next week in Miami, Florida.
Bishins will be presenting the travel agency perspective on why new messaging and connectivity standards, including direct connect, are essential to giving travel agents wider access to the growing array of airline ancillary products and services - key to increasing agency profitability and consumer satisfaction. Bishins will also focus on the importance of the industry's efforts to deploy Distribution 2.0, where booking work flows are enhanced by having traveller recognition and tailor-made offers available at the same time the itinerary and fare search begins.
Also presenting at the forum will be Keith Wallis, MBA, Air Canada's Manager of Distribution Business Development who will provide the airline perspective and Jim Young, Executive Director, Open AXIS Group, who will present the key note address on the "State of the Union" of Distribution 2.0 and the new messaging standards.
"Travel agents have much to gain by expanding their booking toolkit with new and emerging technology which can bring a host of profitable and ever-increasing opportunities in serving the traveling public. ARTA Canada fully supports the Distribution 2.0 initiative - one destined to improve the bottom line of our members", said Bishins.
ARTA Canada is an allied member of the Open AXIS Group. For more information about the forum to be held at the Miami Airport Hilton Hotel, 23-24 February 2011, please visit: www.openaxisgroup.org.
About ARTA Canada
ARTA Canada is the largest non-profit federally incorporated professional association of travel retailers in Canada, the members of which consist exclusively of travel agencies and travel agents. In addition to advocating fair and equitable treatment of travel consumers, ARTA Canada represents the commercial and strategic interests of its member travel agencies and travel agents in a variety of national and provincial domains including regulatory and legislative matters, automation, technology, sales and marketing, and distribution.
ARTA Canada is the strategic partner in Canada of the U.S.-based Association of Retail Travel Agents (ARTA). ARTA Canada is the Canadian member of UFTAA, the United Federation of Travel Agents' Associations. For complete details about ARTA Canada's new $99 membership campaign or to join ARTA Canada, including secure payment on our web site, please visit www.artacanada.ca/join.
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