NTA.travel FAQs
March 11, 2006
NTA.travel FAQs
What is NTA.travel?
What is found on NTA.travel?
How do I get started?
How do I navigate NTA.travel to find the information I need?
What are the password-protected areas of NTA.travel?
How do I set up a new account?
How do I update my company information?
How does the Tour Operator Search work?
How does the Tour Supplier/DMO Search work?
How can I participate in the NTA.travel Member Forums?
Who do I contact for help with NTA.travel?
What is NTA.travel?
This member-driven technology solution was recently re-designed to offer National Tour Association members up-to-the minute industry news and information, a variety of business tools and features that allow you to share your ideas and participate in group discussions.
What is found on NTA.travel?
When you open your Internet browser software, type "http://www.NTA.travel" into the address line and hit "enter." The NTA.travel home page will appear. It includes:
- Member Searches: You will find links to the member search features at the top of the home page. (Please note that two of the searches will require you to enter your user name and password. See " What are the password-protected sections of NTA.travel?" below.)
- This Just In: Daily news stories will load in the center of the page. Don’t worry if you missed a day or two. Just scroll down the screen to view recent headlines and a link to the archives.
- What’s New: This section, located at the right side of the screen, contains links to new information or features on the NTA.travel Web site.
- Opinion Poll: Don’t forget to check the opinion poll question. Scroll to the bottom right of the screen to read the question and see how your colleagues feel about certain issues. The results are tabulated every time you refresh your screen.
- Main Menu: Along the left side of the screen, you’ll find links to all of the major sections of NTA.travel, including association information, tools for tour operators or suppliers and DMOs, research, government issues, convention updates, education, NTA publications, the media center, international news, advertising opportunities and much more.
- FAQs: A link at the top of the home page will take you to this section, designed to help you with questions about NTA.travel. The FAQs page also lists contact information for members of the NTA.travel Team.
- Contact Us: If you have a question, e-mail NTA by clicking on this link in the top right corner. Be sure to include your name, company name and a thorough description of your problem or question. These e-mails are checked daily by NTA staff.
- Member Forums: This online bulletin board allows you to communicate with other NTA members. Join a discussion to voice your opinion, ask a question or just check in to read what others have written. (More information is available under "How can I participate in the NTA.travel Member Forums?" below.)
How do I get started?
To use NTA.travel, open your Internet browser software, and type in "http://www.NTA.travel" into the address line and hit "enter." The NTA.travel home page will appear.
If you are a first time user, begin by establishing a password. (See "Setting up a New Account" below.)
If you have visited NTA.travel before, use the menus to find the section you need. (See "How do I navigate NTA.travel to find the information I need?" below.) If you attempt to enter a password-protected area, you will be prompted to enter your individual ID and password. (For more information, see "What are the password protected areas of NTA.travel?" below.)
Special Note: The Internet browser software that works best with NTA.travel includes Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher and Netscape Navigator 6.0 or higher. Both are available online free of charge. To find the free downloads, go to the "For Tour Operators" or "For Tour Suppliers/DMOs" section of NTA.travel and click on "Useful Web Sites."
How do I navigate NTA.travel to find the information I need?
With its new and improved navigation structure, finding your way through NTA.travel has never been easier. Here’s how it works.
On the home page, you’ll notice a set of links at the left side of the screen, labeled "Main Menu." These are links to the main sections of NTA.travel, which include:
- About NTA
- For Tour Operators
- For Tour Suppliers/DMOs
- Member Information
- Research
- Government Relations
- Conventions/Meetings
- Educational Programs
- News & Publications
- Media Center
- Global Initiatives
- Tourism Cares for Tomorrow
- Advertising Opportunities
Clicking on any of these links will take you to a subsection of the Web site, and the list of links on the left side of the page will change. For example, once you click on "Research," the left menu will change to display all of the information available within the "Research" section of the Web site. To get back to the main menu, just click on "NTA Home," which is the first option in the new menu.
Helpful Tip: You will notice that wherever you are in the Web site, the menu options that run across the top of the page just below the header will not change. If you get confused, just click on any of those links to get back to where you need to be. Or, scroll down to the very bottom of the screen, where you’ll find links to all of the main sections of NTA.travel.
What are the password-protected areas of NTA.travel?
There are several sections of NTA.travel that are available to NTA members only. As a result, you will need your individual ID and member password to access them. Some of these sections include the Members Only Searches, the Member Forums, and several other business aids. Making changes to the company profile information available is the primary contact for the membership.
To access password-protected sections, you will need:
Individual ID: This is the six digit computer generated number assigned to you by NTA. (See "Setting up a New Account" in this guide for instructions on setting up your personalized password.) Member Password: This is your personalized password and may be up to 8 digits.
Special Note: Each person in a member company is encouraged to set up their password. However, the primary contact is assigned administrator rights and thus able to update the company information. To view any of the password-protected areas, you simply go to the home page and click on the menu heading you wish to view. If this section is password-protected, a login screen will appear, asking you to enter your individual ID and the appropriate password.
Simply enter the information in the fields required and click "login," and the item you selected will appear on the page. Once you enter your individual ID and password once, you will not be asked to do so again unless you completely close your Internet browser.
If you do not know your individual ID or password, please contact NTA Headquarters at questions@NTA.travel or 800.682.8886.
How do I set up a new account? The first time you log into NTA.travel, you will need to set up a new account in order to establish A password can be set up from any member only login form. For example, you can access a form by clicking on "Update Your Company Information" under the "What’s New" Heading on the National Tour Association main page, www.NTA.travel. Next, you will see that the first bullet to the right of the login form says "If you are a first-time user, click here to set up your password." You will need your individual id and company id, if you do know your ID numbers, please contact NTA Member Services via e-mail at questions@NTA.travel or by phone, 800.682.8886 or 859.226.4414. Once you set up your password initially, you will need the individual id and password to update your company profile and access members-only sections of www.NTA.travel.
Special Note: Your NTA Member ID is only used to set up new accounts, not to log into password-protected sections of the site. To log into password-protected sections, you will need only your individual ID and password.
How do I update my company information?
NTA.travel contains a database of information on all its members. This information is displayed to other NTA members and the public through the site’s various search features. Members are encouraged to keep their information updated by making changes to their online membership profile.
To update your profile, you will need administrator rights, administrator rights are automatically assigned to all primary contacts. To give an employee administrator rights, the company’s primary membership contact will need to submit a request in writing to NTA headquarters. To update membership profiles, there are separate instructions for tour operator members and for tour supplier/DMO members.
- From the NTA.travel home page, click on "For Tour Operators" and then click on "Update Company Information."
- Enter your individual ID and password and click "login."
- From this screen, you have the ability to modify your basic company information, destinations and origins.
- Once the correct information has been entered, click "submit" at the bottom of the page to activate your changes.
Special Note: Some changes may take 48 hours to become active.
- From the NTA.travel home page, click on "For Tour Suppliers/DMOs" and then "Update Company Information."
- Enter your individual ID and password and click "login."
- From this screen, you have the ability to modify your basic company contact information, company description, property locations and other information.
- Once the correct information has been entered, click "submit" at the bottom of the page to activate your changes.
Special Note: Some changes may take 48 hours to become active.
How does the Tour Operator Search work?
On the NTA.travel home page, you will find a link to the members-only Tour Operator Search. This is a database of tour operator members, and the search function allows you to search for tour operators based on the criteria you select.
You may want to begin by searching for all the tour operators who list your city or state as a destination. Simply enter the name of your city or state/province or country in the "Destination" section and click "Search." A list of tour operators serving that area will be returned.
But don’t stop there. Search for tour operators who might be a perfect match for your company. For example, if your attraction appeals to a specific demographic, enter a percentage under "Types of Customers Served." This will give you the tour operators whose business is at or above that percentage. If you are with a restaurant, check the box that indicates meals are included in the tour to receive a list of tour operators who may need your services.
In addition, the Tour Operator Search has a convenient download feature. Search results can be downloaded as an Excel spreadsheet or a comma delimited file to allow you to view contact information for all the companies at one time. Just click the appropriate link at the top of the search results page.
Special Note: The Public Tour Operator Search is a scaled-down version of the members-only search. It does not require you to enter a user name and password to access, but it does not contain as much criteria on which to search, and only basic company information appears when the search is complete.
How does the Tour Supplier/DMO Search work?
On the top of NTA.travel home page, you will find the button for the members-only Tour Supplier/DMO Search. There are three distinct searches on this screen. The first search is designed to allow a quick search for a particular NTA tour supplier or DMO member. It also allows you to view a list of all NTA tour supplier and DMO members within a certain business type.
The second search, Company Location, allows you to search for NTA members by their company location or company headquarters information. The third search, Property Locations, allows you to search only those members with more than one property. For example, you can search for all hotels with property locations in a certain state/province or in a certain country or city. Please note that this search will only show members who have multiple locations. If a member has only one location, it will not appear as part of the Property Locations search.
By targeting your search, you can pull up members offering the services you need in the city you plan to visit. Using the online directory, you can easily map out an entire tour by locating NTA members in every town along the way. In addition, if you are looking for something specific, a hotel or restaurant, for example, just select that category under "Type of Business."
The NTA.travel member directories will help simplify your planning throughout the year.
How can I participate in the NTA.travel Member Forums?
NTA.travel’s Member Forums are a great way for members to share their thoughts, ideas and opinions on a wide range of subjects affecting the packaged travel industry. If you have never used the forums before, it is a good idea to visit them to see what others have written and to post your own messages.
A convenient link to the Member Forums is located near the top of all NTA.travel pages. The forums area is password protected, so you must enter your user name and member password to gain access. After logging into the forums, you will see that the discussions are divided into several folders. To read a discussion, simply click on the topic. The original message will appear followed by any reply messages that have been posted.
If you would like to respond to a message, click the "reply" link. Once you have submitted the response form, your reply will be added to that discussion and can be viewed by all members. If you would like to offer a new topic for discussion, click on the "post new" link at the bottom of the main page. Choose the folder that best suits your topic and add your message. Check back to read responses to your comments.
Who do I contact for help with NTA.travel?
If you need assistance with any features of the site, contact a member of the NTA.travel Team via e-mail or call 800.682.8886 and the extension listed below: