“ACTA prides itself on equality, integrity and respect”: Hiebert

TORONTO — ACTA says there “is not and never will be” exclusivity in its new Consortium Partner program, and says any statements claiming so “were not accurate or approved by ACTA”.

The latest salvo comes as a statement from the executive of ACTA’s Board of Directors.

Virtuoso sent out a release on April 3 announcing that it had signed on as ACTA’s first exclusive consortium partner. As part of the agreement, Virtuoso’s 185 Canadian travel agency locations will receive an annual 30% rebate on their ACTA membership, up to $750. ACTA will also provide Virtuoso members with a 30% discount on the price of Certified Travel Counselor and Certified Travel Manager registration fees.

ACTA Board Chair Mary Jane Hiebert sent out the following statement yesterday:

“Over the last several days, a number of questions continue to be raised regarding the recently announced ACTA Consortia Partner Program. While the ACTA team has been working diligently to respond to these questions, some confusion remains. The ACTA Board Executive felt compelled to clearly address these items with a hope to resolve any further misunderstandings regarding the program.

“Under the Consortia Partner Program:

Program Exclusivity – There is not and never will be exclusivity in the program. Any prior statements claiming so were not accurate or approved by ACTA.
ACTA Discounts – Any discounts provided on ACTA membership fees must be paid by the Consortia. ACTA will not subsidize any such financial incentives.
Participation – Although newly formed and still being finalized, the Consortia program is equally available to all ACTA members. ACTA would welcome discussions with all interested parties.

“As Chair, and on behalf of the Board Executive, I want to apologize to our ACTA members, partners and trade press for any confusion the launch of this program may have caused over the last several days.

“ACTA prides itself on equality, integrity and respect for all Association stakeholders and are hopeful this communication dispels any previous miscommunication regarding the program.”