About SATA

SATA is a not-for-profit association created exclusively for the USA based travel trade to learn more about tourism to South & Central America. Our association brings together USA based tour operators, hoteliers, airlines, expedition cruise companies, tourist boards and other industry related companies whose common goal is to educate travel agents on tourism to South & Central America.

Our Mission

The goal and purpose of SATA is to provide and improve tourism by promoting awareness and education of South & Central America as a leisure travel destination, to travel agents throughout the United States.

Our History

In 1984, Darius Morgan of Crillon Tours, founding father of SATA (endearingly known as "Mama SATA") had a vision to promote an international based trade organization located in South America, then called South American Travel Association. He traveled to South America, visiting airlines, tour operators, and hotels, to raise the funds to develop this joint promotional effort. He succeeded by signing up approximately 140 members and raising over $70,000.

After a short time, it became apparent to the senior executives, Darius Morgan along with Mariano Proano of Metropolitan Touring and Carlos Alberto Arrate of Lima Tours plus an agreement by the members of SATA that since those promoting travel to South America from the United States were to be their target market, the association had to be based in the United States.

Between 1984 and 1987, meetings were arranged to bring the industry leaders together and transition the SATA headquarters from South America to the United States. That decision lead to the opening of a SATA office in Miami. Michele Shelburne of Ladatco Tours was approached to become a part of their organizing team. United States based suppliers and retail travel agents were approached to join in this effort and supplier members’ sales collateral as well as educational information on South America were distributed. The first thing on the agenda was to elect a Board of Directors and determine the purpose of SATA to be clearly defined. The first board comprised of – Mr. Ricky Alvarez, AeroPeru Airlines (President); Mr. David Price, Price & Associates (Vice President); Ms. Merci Dessau, Varig Airlines (Secretary) and Ms. Hermine Taramona, Tara Tours Inc (Treasurer). SATA's purpose was to create an association whose aim was to raise the level of awareness of South America as a vacation destination and educate travel agents on promoting travel to this region.

Since then, SATA has been actively educating professional travel agents in the United States through its members with regular tradeshows in key cities and familiarization trips. SATA is also well represented at trade events abroad and the media. In 1995, SATA is renamed as the “South & Central American Travel Association” and remains a strong and professional organization.

Past Presidents

1987   Rick Alvarez (Aero Peru Airlines)
1988   David Price (Price & Associates)
1989   Bo McComas (World Mission Tours)
1990   Merci Dessau (Varig Airlines)
1991   Daniel Taramona (Tara Tours)
1992   Eduardo Palacio (LAP Lineas Aereas Paraguayas)
1993   Jaime Alvarez (Fourth Dimension Tours)
1994   Ciro Correa (Lan Chile Airlines)
1995   Diego Linares (Altura Tours)
1996   Linda Cain (Starwood Hotels)
1997   Marisa Laurito (American Airlines)
1998   Jorge Obradovich (VASP Airlines Brazil)
1999   Hermine Taramona (Tara Tours)
2000   Hermine Taramona (Tara Tours)
2001   Annie Berk (Ladatco Tours)
2002   Annie Berk (Ladatco Tours)
2003   Daniel Taramona (Tara Tours)
2004   Jawayne Keyser (Martinair)
2005   Floriana Martinez (American Airlines)
2006   Raj Sanghrajka (Big Five Tours & Expeditions)
2007   Raj Sanghrajka (Alluring Americas)
2008   Neomie Menahem (Latour), Raj Sanghrajka (Alluring Americas)
2009   Jorge Rodriguez (Cruceros Australis)