NTA earns high marks from members
March 3, 2025
The results of the 2025 NTA Member Satisfaction Survey are in, and the association’s leaders are, well … satisfied.
“Ninety-six percent of the members who completed the survey said that, overall, they are satisfied with their NTA membership,” said NTA President Catherine Prather. “And more than half (52%) said they’re very satisfied. That tells me we’re on the right track.”
The survey was conducted between Feb. 12 and Feb. 26, with questions sent to NTA’s tour operator, DMO, tour supplier, and associate members.
While members’ overall satisfaction with the association is strong, they expressed an even higher level of approval of the NTA staff.
“It was almost unanimous,” said NTA Board Chair Monique van Dijk-Seppola. “A tick over 99% of members said they are satisfied with the professionalism, knowledge, and helpfulness of the NTA staff, with more than three-fourths saying they are very satisfied. And I must say I agree.”
The survey covered a wide range of topics, asking about member benefits and member engagement, giving respondents several opportunities to provide their opinions and suggestions, according to Prather.
“While the results are largely positive, the survey also points us to areas that need attention,” she said.
Prather said that while every membership benefit listed is overwhelmingly appreciated—everything from NTA’s Travel Exchange and Contact events to webinars, newsletters, and advocacy work—some of those benefits need to be better publicized.
“Several members said they aren’t aware of the discounts they are offered by NTA’s Corporate Partners, which include insurance, car rentals, office supplies, and payment and management technology,” she said. “We need to do a better job of spelling out the financial rewards of membership.”
On the other hand, 83% of respondents said they are aware of NTA’s mission, core values, and code of ethics, which were recently revised by a member-led task force.
Other facts gathered in the survey include the following:
- Asked for the primary reason they joined NTA, all member categories cited Travel Exchange as the top reason, with “networking” as the second-most cited reason.
- The third most popular reason for joining, cited by all members, is education and professional development.
- Asked why they remained in the NTA community, members said that Travel Exchange, networking, and education are still the top reasons; buyers also like that their NTA membership enhances their business credentials and credibility
- Asked how long they have personally been involved with NTA, one-third of tour operators (34%) said 17 or more years and 28% said three years or less, with the rest having between four and 16 years in the association.
- More supplier and destination representatives are new to NTA, with 37% reporting membership of three years or less, with 19 to 22% of other respondents falling in each of the other three categories: four to eight years, nine to 16 years, and 17-plus years.
- Two-thirds of tour operator respondents (65%) are the chief executive, president, or owner of the company. Another 22% are senior-level managers.
- Among seller respondents, 14% are CEOs, 39% are senior-level managers, and 44% are managers at their organization.
“I want to thank every member who participated in this survey,” van Dijk-Seppola said. “Know that your participation is crucial in helping the staff and board improve our work.”
NTA’s next survey will focus on members’ business—up or down, factors impacting business, and the outlook for the rest of 2025 and beyond.