For more than 50 years, USTOA has set the standards for tour companies and delivered peace of mind for travelers. Our commitment to integrity, responsibility, and sustainability in travel has never been stronger.
Our Origins
United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) was founded in 1972 by a small group of California tour operators concerned about bankruptcies in the industry. These founding members recognized the need for a unified voice to reassure and protect the traveling public, as well as to represent the interests of tour operators.
Created with the primary purpose of promoting integrity within the tour operator industry, this voluntary professional trade association quickly gained traction. In 1975, USTOA became a national organization with headquarters in New York.
USTOA's History and Accomplishments
Our association made history in 1976 when it became the first travel organization to establish a consumer protection fund. Over the years, the program has been strengthened in response to changing economic times. Today, the USTOA $1 Million Travelers Assistance Program—which requires each member company to set aside $1 million of its own funds specifically to protect consumers' deposits and payments in the event of bankruptcy or cessation of business—is recognized as the strongest of its kind in the industry.
But USTOA does far more. Through ongoing consumer awareness campaigns, we educate the traveling public about the benefits of packaged vacations. We help destinations and travel entities build tourism by organizing workshops, product development trips, and networking events. We advocate for responsible travel, and we strive to protect the places our members entice travelers to visit and appreciate.
USTOA's highly active government affairs committee tirelessly champions a policy of open borders. The committee works with the Department of Transportation (DOT), U.S. State Department, and other government agencies to facilitate tourism worldwide.
Our Promise
USTOA was founded to foster trust in tour operators. Our maxim, "Integrity in Tourism," compels members to adhere to the highest standards in the industry. Among these is the principle of ethical conduct, which requires members to conduct business according to a set of professional standards that includes representing all facts, conditions, and requirements relating to tours and vacation packages truthfully and accurately.
Members must also demonstrate ethical and financial responsibility in their business conduct in order to instill confidence in their stability, reliability, and integrity.
Our Priorities
USTOA aims to:
- Educate the travel industry, government agencies, and the public about tours, vacation packages, and tour operators;
- Protect consumers and travel advisors from financial loss in the event of a USTOA Active Member's bankruptcy, insolvency, or cessation of business;
- Foster a high level of professionalism within the tour operator industry;
- Promote and develop travel worldwide with a focus on sustainability.
