NTA Members, Staff Earn Certified Tour Professional Designation

January 31, 2018

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (Jan. 30, 2018) —  The National Tour Association is proud to announce that eight NTA members and five NTA staff members earned the Certified Tour Professional designation in 2017.

Established more than 30 years ago, NTA’s CTP was the first professional competency program in the packaged travel industry. Developed by and for packaged travel professionals, the CTP covers three main areas: leadership, management and administration; marketing and sales; and financial management.

NTA members recently earning the CTP designation are Jessica Bennett, Fayetteville Area (North Carolina) Convention & Visitors Bureau; Betsy Crowell, Spectrum of Richmond (Virginia); Barbara Dougherty, Spectrum of Richmond; Julianne Fredrick, Visit Durango (Colorado); Fraser Neave, Wells Gray Tours (Kamloops, British Columbia); Jenny Patterson, Spectrum of Richmond; John Savage, Spectrum of Richmond; and Greg Varner, Making Memories Tours (Washburn, Missouri).

To become a CTP certificant, individuals must have at least 18 months experience in the hospitality or tourism industry or have a degree in hospitality or tourism. Candidates must master a series of courses and complete a white paper that applies curriculum-related concepts.

“Completing the CTP program is challenging, but it gave me new information and insight into the business we all love,” said Pam Inman, NTA president. “This program allows travel industry professionals to prove they are experienced, knowledgeable and committed to high-quality business practices.”

Along with Inman, members of the NTA staff who earned CTP designation are Morgan Maravich, industry and member engagement manager; Laura McFadden, events manager; Catherine Prather, executive vice president; and Jennifer Royse, database and membership coordinator.

For more information about the CTP program and to apply online, visit ntaonline.com/ctp or email Phillip Strunk at phillip.strunk@ntastaff.com.

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Pictured above: Fraser Neave of Wells Gray Tours in Kamloops, British Columbia, is one of several NTA members who earned the Certified Tour Professional designation in 2017. Neave is pictured at a seminar during NTA’s Travel Exchange in San Antonio last December.