ACTA TARGETS CONSUMERS WITH FIRST PR AGENCY
By Adnews Staff
The Alliance of Canadian Travel Associations of Ottawa is using a PR agency for the first time because of changes that have recently occurred in the travel industry. The organization has hired DBA Communications of Toronto after a final shoot out with two other agencies. "We chose DBA based on their knowledge of the travel industry and their previous experience handling similar issues to those ACTA is facing," ACTA president Hugh Campbell says in a release. Recently airlines have begun offering electronic ticketing, enabling people to travel without tickets. In addition, carriers in North America have put limits on the amount of revenue a travel agency can generate. The goal of the PR campaign is to promote the value travel agents add to the travel sales business. "We want to communicate that the decision to purchase a ticket is complex and ensure consumers are aware of their options," executive director Terry Ohman told Adnews last week. "The best people to know about these options are travel agencies." This is also the first time ACTA is targeting consumers. In the past it has handled PR in-house, targeting the industry. ACTA represents travel agencies in Canada.