The Association of Retail Travel Agents� (ARTA) membership is 100 percent professional travel agents and ARTA does not accept travel suppliers or other travel companies as members. Formed in 1963, ARTA is the largest and most influential travel agent only organization in North America.

ARTA works to protect Travel Agents from unfair trade practices conducted by the providers of travel, especially the airlines. This was particularly true in their recent fight against Delta Airlines and the other airlines that stopped paying agent commissions for the sale of airline tickets. ARTA also challenged the former ATC, [the predecessor of Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC)] in 1985 because of the ATC�s infringement of the rights of ARTA�s agent members. This challenge made the carrier organizations restructure as the Airlines Reporting Corporation to ensure the continued support of travel agent�s rights.

ARTA offers a number of other benefits to members including affordable health insurance for travel agents. ARTA�s website acts as a forum for travel agents to be vigilant in the protection of their civil rights and contains articles on safety in the travel industry after the terrorists� attacks. Their grassroots participation allows them to immediately respond to industry injustices. ARTA has cooperative alliances with the Outside Sales Support Network and Hickory Travel Systems. Membership in ARTA allows qualifying travel agents to be issued TRUE identification through IATA.