Members of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) will be eligible to purchase an entirely new Web address thanks to the launch of .travel-a global gathering place on the Internet that brings travel marketers and qualified prospects together in a location totally dedicated to travel. During the initial launch phase, members of approved organizations, such as ASTA, will be allowed to purchase a .travel name, and only pre-authenticated firms will be allowed to purchase a .travel name during September, the first month of the initial launch period.

“When ASTA joined forces with Tralliance Corp. we did so with the idea that registering travel agents under the .travel domain name would be a way for our members to clearly identify and establish themselves as bona fide members of the travel industry,” said Kathy Sudeikis, CTC, ASTA president and CEO. “After many months of planning, we are so excited to be able to bring them this terrific opportunity to further extend their reach on the Internet.”

Because industry eligibility must be verified, purchasing a .travel domain name will be a two-step process.

1)    First, ASTA members must authenticate their eligibility and membership with the Society. To be eligible to purchase a .travel name at any time during the first month .travel names are sold, members must authenticate their business name(s) by completing an online application. July 1-Aug. 23 is the pre-authentication period. Information will be available at ASTAnet.com. This pre-authentication service will be provided at no charge as a benefit to ASTA members.

2)    Upon completing the authentication process, members can purchase a .travel domain name with any approved registrar. The earliest date a company can register a .travel name is Sept. 1. More details on this process will be given out at a later date. In the meantime, ASTA members can find additional details in the Members Only section at www.astanet.com/members/dot-travel.asp and www.tralliance.com/dottravel/main.htm. Periodic updates will be provided in Dateline Weekly.

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