I have received lots of email and a few calls from the multi- level - marketing and card mill proponents. However, the overwhelming majority came from the other side of the travel agent distribution system thanking me for my down to earth discussion about these "people". Along the way, I'm learning more about the mental state of these suckers for network marketing. W.C. Fields once said there is a sucker born everyday.

Just because I call them names and poke fun at them doesn't mean they don't pose any danger to the serious professional travel agent. Actually they pose a significant danger to the very essence of the so called "legitimate" travel industry. They are growing at a faster rate than the traditional travel agent because they recruit from the grass roots using hype, lies and deceit and are wooed by many of our top travel suppliers. There are literally hundreds of house parties and free trips sponsored by the MLM and card mills with advertising support from many of our travel suppliers. They are multiplying like rabbits and will eventually create huge problems for the legitimate travel agent. The game is called pyramiding and it is not about selling travel but rather selling a business opportunity.

Perhaps, because I have performed much due diligence on this subject, I may be closer to them than most that are on this side of the travel industry. I can tell you that if our side of the travel agent distribution system doesn't begin to bring out awareness programs explaining how the MLMs and card mills operate, the travel industry will continue to be wide open attracting more of the scam artists.There are more of these MLM/cardmills in existence than ever before. They don't stay in business long but they are here in large numbers preying on the legitimate travel community and consumers. The States will eventually jump in and begin instituting new laws once they hear about the horror stories. Maybe that's not such a bad idea. I know Cailfornia is trying to reign in the card mills and companies like YTB are fighting it.I understand that YTB was able to con the State of California to allow travel agents selling a minimum of $2500 in sales to qualify as a travel agent. Tell me it isn't so.!

Please let your organizations and media publications know that you want these issues addressed now. It's time they took their heads out of the sand and face this growing problem. They may be reluctant to do this because they all have supplier members and supplier advertisers. Suppliers play both sides of the home based travel agent distribution fence, especially the mega mass cruise lines, because their focus is on sales from any source rather than the real travel professionals that drive the sales.

Marriott Hotels with other hotel chains are doing something about it. They have taken away commissions from some of these card mills. Why not the cruise lines and tour operators? Where are you CLIA and USTOA? The foolishness and short term thinking in all of this is not really necessary in order to build sales and fill cabins and sell tour packages. The bottom line is that suppliers are really indirectly giving consumers commissions and cheap vacations and diluting the value of the serious travel agent by allowing consumers to pretend they are travel agents and reducing the availability of sales incentives and fams to these same serious travel agents. Reducing the number of consumers using these card mills for commissions and Fams will increase the number of consumers for the legitimate travel agent because they are going to travel anyway.

Here's a partial list of the network marketing and "card mill" companies that I write about.

• YTB International (Your Travel Biz)
• PRT Travel/GT Trends
• Cash Card Worldwide (K & E Travel)
• World Ventures Travel
• Traverus
• Coastal Vacation Club
• Global Travel International
• Travelwize
• Pro-Travel Network
• Travelogia ( cooked already)
• Global Resorts Network
• American Travel Bureau
• Inteletravel
• World Class Network
• Certrav.net
• Certified Travel Services

Some of these companies claim to be members of our well known organizations. I've written to at least one of these organizations and they won't acknowledge the card mill's membership status.

We will continue to discuss in coming issues the network marketing and card mill companies and their scams. I'm hoping that there is a major supplier, organization or print media out there who has what it takes to do what is right for the legitimate travel industry. I don't think there is but I would be pleased to be proven wrong. No one else, other than the Travel Trade newspaper, will even acknowledge the growing problem. Shame on all of us.