CHARLOTTE, N.C. - TelAve -- The Greater Charlotte Chapter of the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), representing more than 350 travel professionals hosted its annual Queen City Travel Summit on September 9, 2026. The event brought together more than 100 travel professionals for a day of education, networking, professional development and meaningful engagement with leading travel industry suppliers.

The event featured 15 leading travel industry suppliers who participated in dynamic roundtable discussions throughout the day. The program also included two peer-to-peer sessions, allowing advisors to share experiences and best practices with fellow travel professionals.

One of the highlights of the Summit was the Advisor Panel which focused on luxury travel and featured strategies for identifying and cultivating luxury clients within an advisor's existing database.The discussion reinforced the importance of understanding that luxury travel is not defined by a single price point or travel style, but by the individual client's expectations, priorities and desired experience.

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Attendees praised the Summit for its educational value and opportunities to connect with both suppliers and fellow travel professionals.

Advisor Paulette Samuels shared: "The ASTA Summit exceeded my expectations! I learned so much, especially during the roundtable sessions, finally met some of the BDMs I've been corresponding with and even walked away with a prize! A great day of learning, connecting, and growing."

The Summit also received positive feedback from participating suppliers.

Joseph Luchison of Evoke | Inspire shared:

"This was my first ASTA Queen City Summit and it was very well orchestrated in all aspects, generating an impressively high advisor turnout. As a supplier, the combination of roundtables, panel discussions and peer-to-peer sessions allowed for maximum opportunity to engage with all advisors and identify new business opportunities."

During the Summit, the Greater Charlotte ASTA Chapter raised more than $3,000 for ASTA's, Political Action Committee (ASTA PAC).

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ASTA PAC supports ASTA's advocacy efforts by helping strengthen the travel advisor community's voice with policymakers and supporting candidates who understand issues important to travel advisors, travel agencies and the broader travel industry.

The Greater Charlotte Chapter's fundraising effort demonstrates that the local travel advisor community recognizes advocacy as an essential component of protecting and advancing the interests of professional travel advisors.

As travel continues to evolve, the chapter recognizes the importance of creating opportunities for advisors to stay informed, develop strong supplier partnerships and learn from one another. Karen Shelton, President of the Greater Charlotte Chapter, emphasized the chapter's commitment to fostering a strong advisor community, stating, "I'm especially proud of the culture we have created in Charlotte one that encourages professionalism and collaboration over competition within the travel advisor community."