NTA’s 75th anniversary

In 2026, the National Tour Association celebrates 75 years of collaboration, innovation, and leadership. Join us throughout the year, as we honor and commemorate NTA’s rich history, vibrant community, and innovative spirit.

NTA Historic Highlights

From Lynn B. Herzig’s The Building of an Industry: The Official History of the National Tour Association

“When L.C. Ball made his decision to call a meeting of brokers from around the country, it was decided to name the organization “Association of Passenger Brokers of United States of America.” This was the masthead of the first letter initiating the formation of what subsequently became the National Tour Association.

The letter of invitation was dated February 3, 1951, and reviewed the recent ICC decision relative to the Tauck case.* It strongly recommended that each broker make every effort to be at the meeting, including this sentence: ‘We’ll be looking forward to meeting you personally in New York and to a pleasant association in working together in the Association of the future’ and was signed, Robert R. Clemes, L.C. Ball Tours, Secretary.

On a cold February 19 evening at 6:30 p.m., a dozen tour brokers, mostly from New York and Pennsylvania, gathered around a table at the Henry Hudson Hotel in New York City to talk survival. Mrs. W.M. Moore was the only tour operator from the South present. The group adopted a simple set of bylaws and appointed S. Harrison Kahn, a Washington-based ICC transportation specialist, as their attorney. Robert Shattuck of Parker Tours in New York City was elected president; H.J. Michaels of Providence, R.I., first vice president; Carl Clark of Binghampton, N.Y., second vice president; and L.C. Ball of Milton, Pa., secretary-treasurer. This new association was incorporated as the “National Brokers Association,” but because of confusion with Wall Street brokers, the organization was later chagned to “National Tour Brokers Association.”

In addition, those first members included George Talmage, Mrs. W.M. Moore, L.R. Batcheler, Stanley Parker, Roy Masser, Carter Judah, Ferdinand Arrigoni, and Rudolph Pick.

1951

Twelve tour brokers met in New York City to discuss a strategy for a unified legal battle against the Interstate Commerce Commission and chart the future of their industry. A new organization was incorporated as the National Tour Brokers Association.

1962

Cosmopolitan Tourist Company Inc. of Long Island, N.Y., becomes the first NTBA allied (now known as suppliers) member.

1963

NTBA’s annual meeting is officially named the Annual Convention.

1971

Mary Lee, Mary Lee Tours, was elected NTBA president, becoming the first female president of any major travel organization in the United States.

1974

NTBA Board enters into an agreement with Jim Host and Associates Inc. in Lexington, Kentucky, to manage the association. Host would serve as executive vice president for more than 20 years.

1974

The first NTBA newsletter, titled “Courier,” was published. It would later evolve into a monthly magazine.

1975

Dr. Oscar Fowler creates a computerized appointment scheduling system for the Tour & Travel Exchange at the 1975 convention in San Diego, the first of its kind. Read all about it here.

*Jim Host, Sen. Frank Church, and Earl Harmon*

1979

Jim Host and past president Earl Harmon work with members of Congress to form the Congressional Travel & Tourism Caucus.

1982

At the convention in Toronto, the name National Tour Association was adopted to replace National Tour Brokers Association.

1985

Nevada Congressman Jim Santini was hired to be NTA’s full-time legislative counsel in Washington, D.C.

1985

The Certified Tour Professional certification was launched at the annual convention in Reno.

1991

As response to the war in the Persian Gulf, NTA developed a plan to stimulate consumer interest in travel with its “Travel the Perfect Freedom” campaign. The campaign was relaunched 10 years later, following the 9/11 tragedy.

1995

The association launched NTAonline.com.

2000

Titles change: NTA executive director becomes NTA president, and the elected NTA president is now named NTA chairman.

Product Development Trip in Switzerland, 2004

2002

NTA opens its membership to international organizations with Switzerland Tourism being the first to join.

2004

NTA temporarily changes name to CrossSphere, announced at the Nov. 2004 convention in Toronto. A tour operator bylaw vote was needed to officially make the move. In March 2005, NTA operators voted to return the organization’s name to National Tour Association.

*NTA Chair Bob Hoelscher (right) with NTA President Lisa Simon (center) and Mr. Shao*

2007

The U.S. and Chinese governments sign an MOU opening group leisure travel inbound from China to the United States. NTA becomes the only U.S.-based trade association with a tour operator qualification program approved by the China National Tourism Administration, which facilitates this market.

2010

Board decides to move NTA from association management to self-management.

2014

Pam Inman named as NTA’s president.

2016

NTA introduces new brand and website powered by tagline: Together. We go further.

2018

Travel Exchange innovations include a new open floor and an energetic, modern look. Also, NTA launches China Preferred Partner Program and NTACourier.com.

*Sales Mission at TREX ’23 in Shreveport*

2019

At TREX in Fort Worth, NTA introduces two new business connection sessions: Sales Missions and Best Pitch. NTA announces that the International Tour Management Summit will be held at NTA’s Travel Exchange.

2020

Catherine Prather is named as NTA’s president.

2020

With COVID-19 decimating the industry, and with budgets slashed and in-person meetings not possible, NTA creates vTREX to give members a cost-effective, safe way to come together. NTA also pushed forward its digital strategy and took Courier magazine fully digital: NTACourier.com.

2021

NTA pushes Contact back to early May and was the first major association to hold an in-person event. With strict COVID protocols and an inventive Red, Yellow, Green stickers system, attendees had a safe and successful return to in-person networking.

2022

The innovation continues at TREX: 8-minute appointments to allow for walk time, all-attendee breaks, compressed appointment schedule to give buyers relief, and education on the floor bumped up the energy.