WESTA, a member owned and managed marketing cooperative, is operated for the sole purpose of generating increased revenues for its membership through a broad spectrum of programs run in partnership with a selected group of premier travel partners. Formed in the late 1970’s, the Western Association of Travel Agencies was started by a group of independent travel agencies seeking to network and promote professionalism and integrity in the retail travel industry. As WESTA evolved, it became beneficial to negotiate preferred supplier programs with those tour operators and cruise lines that played a major role in travel on the “West Coast”.