§ 523. Definitions. As used in this article: 1. "Travel services" means public transportation, public accommodations in hotels, motels or motor courts, rental of motor vehicles or any other service related to travel.

2. "Provider of travel services" means every person, firm or corporation engaged in the business of furnishing travel, transportation or vacation services.

2-a. "Travel agent" shall mean any person, firm, corporation, partnership or association, other than a common carrier or employee of a common carrier, that is an officially appointed agent of a common carrier and meets standards no less than those required on January first, nineteen hundred ninety, for authorized agents of the airline reporting corporation, or is a registered member of the Cruise Lines International Association and who operates exclusively as an agent for cruise lines in the sale of cruise travel products or services, and who, as a legal agent of a supplier, sells or offers for sale any travel, transportation or vacation arrangements, or who negotiates for or holds himself or herself out by solicitation, advertisement or otherwise as one who sells, provides, furnishes contracts or arranges for such travel, transportation or vacation services.

3. "Consumer" means a natural person.

4. "Credit card" and "issuer" shall have the same meanings as in article twenty-nine-A of this chapter.