of Travel Agencies
What is WESTA
The Western Association of Travel Agencies (WESTA) is a member owned and governed marketing cooperative who's programs are specifically designed to support premium and luxury targeted retail travel companies located on the West Coast. WESTA is operated for the sole purpose of generating increased revenues for its membership through a broad spectrum of programs run in partnership with a selected group of premier travel partners who also target this same high-yield geographic market.
Formed in the early 1980’s, WESTA originated from a group of independent travel agencies seeking to network and promote professionalism and integrity in the retail travel industry. As WESTA evolved, it became involved in negotiating preferred supplier programs with those tour operators and cruise lines that played a major role in supplying product to agencies located in the western U.S. Today WESTA is a leader in the market, providing its members and suppliers with one of the most profitable preferred supplier programs available, along with the marketing, education and hands-on support programs needed to support these partnerships.
There is one huge difference between WESTA and other agency marketing groups. Our member-owners actually oversee the operations and share in the profits of the organization. Several agency groups use the term co-op, but which groups have member agencies review their financials on a monthly basis? We even go so far as to allow member agencies to review our supplier agreements since, after all, they are actually your supplier agreements. Ask your present agency group if they will offer you these same privileges.
Unlike most consortia, WESTA member-owners receive 100% of their earned “up-front” commissions and “back-end” overrides.
