Do any professional associations regulate travel agents?
No. Travel agents have to meet very few formal requirements. Most travel agents do belong to one or more professional associations, however, and each association has a code of ethics that requires its members to remain knowledgeable of developments within the travel industry and to refrain from engaging in misleading sales practices. Membership in a professional association is voluntary, however, and if an agent violates the code of ethics, you have little recourse within the association. If you have a complaint about a travel agent, ask someone in the travel agency if the agent belongs to a professional association.
