Tuesday Newsletter
August 9, 2005
Tuesday Newsletter August 9, 2005
Aug. 9, 2005: Volume 25; Issue 25
NTA Convention – Better Be Prepared
The countdown to Convention is on, as the Motor City will welcome NTA delegates in just 87 short days. Now that your room is reserved and your flight booked, start going through this important Convention "to do" list so you can be fully prepared to do some business and have some fun in Detroit.
Have questions about any of the reminders above? Contact your Member Services team at questions@ntastaff.com or 800.682.8886 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4444.
Better Business. Better Be There.
2006 Officer and Board Candidates Announced
The NTA Nominating Committee has selected nominees for the 2006 officer and board positions, and the deadline has expired for members to run from the floor. Here are the candidates for 2006.
Candidates for the Executive Committee are:
Vice Chairman/Chairman and CEO Elect
Treasurer
Secretary
Three tour operator director seats (two-year terms) will be filled. The candidates are:
One DMO director seat (two-year term) will be filled. The candidates are:
One tour supplier director (two-year term) will be filled. The candidates are:
Note that "NC" indicates that the NTA Nominating Committee nominated the candidate and "NF" indicates that the candidate was nominated "from the floor"
Voting for all director and officer positions will occur via e-mail ballots, mailed ballots or in person at Annual Convention. Ballots will be e-mailed to members with valid e-mail addresses in mid-September and immediately thereafter mailed to all other members.
To learn more about the candidates, check for the NTA Elections page on NTA Online in mid-August and the elections forum in the member forum section this week. Also keep reading Tuesday for information on the candidate Web seminars that will occur in mid-September and for other election news.
U.S. Sets Records for Travel Abroad in 2004
According to the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, 2004 United States outbound travel was up by 10 percent over 2003. The 10 percent increase last year marked the first time since 1995 the nation has reported double-digit growth, and it was the first increase in outbound travel since 2000. In 2004, 61.8 million U.S. travelers went abroad, surpassing the 2000 record of 61.3 million.
The top two destinations were Mexico, up 10 percent over 2003, and Canada, up six percent. The overseas market increased by almost 12 percent compared to 2003, with a record 27.4 million travelers taking non-Canada/non-Mexico international trips last year. The top five overseas markets for U.S. travelers in 2004 were the United Kingdom, France, Italy, China (combined total for the PRC and Hong Kong) and Germany.
Spending by U.S. travelers going abroad also set a record in 2004 at $89.3 billion, up 14 percent compared to 2003. The top five countries for U.S. spending were Mexico, the United Kingdom, Canada, France and Italy.
For more information, visit http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/.
Appointment Scheduling System Correction
Tour operators who are researching sightseeing/receptive tour suppliers through the NTA Online appointment scheduling system should note that "areas serviced" are now available on each tour supplier’s profile form. A technical problem was previously preventing these service areas from appearing. NTA apologizes for this inconvenience.
".travel" Leveling the Internet Playing Field
The pre-registration process for the ".travel" top-level domain name initiative is now moving into its second month, and many NTA members have applied. The new ".travel" domain name will soon be creating a global Internet gathering place that brings travel buyers and sellers together in a community totally dedicated to travel.
If you are a travel seller or marketer, ".travel" provides you with an opportunity to expand your outreach and capitalize on the power of the Internet as a sales tool. Here are just a few of the benefits of having a ".travel" domain name:
When ".travel" officially launches on or about Sept. 1, consumers worldwide can have greater confidence purchasing travel over the Internet with ".travel"-approved companies. For more information on ".travel," visit NTA Online or contact us at questions@ntastaff.com.
Alan Fredericks, CTC, editor-at-large of Travel Weekly died at his home recently after a long battle with cancer. He was 70 years old.
Fredericks served as editor in chief of Travel Weekly for 25 years. At the time of his death, he was editor-at-large for the magazine and vice president and editorial director of its parent company, Northstar Travel Media, LLC.
"Alan Fredericks was the complete person," NTA President Hank Phillips, CTP, said. "Knowledgeable, insightful and a true professional are just a few of the words that describe this pillar of the travel industry. We are saddened by his passing, but we also celebrate what he gave to us and to our industry."
The funeral was held Aug. 3, but Travel Weekly plans to organize a memorial service within the next few months to provide an opportunity for Alan’s many industry friends to honor his memory; details will be forthcoming. Contributions in Fredericks’ name should be made to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, P.O. Box 27106, New York, NY 10087-7106 (phone: 646-227-3546).
Donate Now to the Tourism Cares Auctions at NTA Convention
Are you attending the NTA Convention in Detroit? We hope so, but even if you’re not, your company or destination can still be highly visible to the 3,000-plus attendees if you donate to the Tourism Cares for Tomorrow Live and Silent Auctions. In addition to helping a great cause, your donation will provide great exposure for your company.
The Live Auction will include a limited number of items, selected based on their unique appeal and value. There are some changes that will make this year’s Silent Auction more exciting than ever. Delegates in Detroit will be able to go online 24 hours a day during Annual Convention and make their bids and not have to wait until the Convention Mall is open. Plus, pictures of each item will be on display throughout the convention center on TV monitors and online, as well as at the auction tables.
For a downloadable auction donation form, please click here. The deadline in order to have your item and its image included in the official Auction Catalog is Sept. 10, 2005. If you have any questions about the auctions, please contact Lisa Schmiemann at LisaS@tourismcaresfortomorrow.org.
NTA’s Product Development Trip from Oct. 6-12 to Germany’s Bavarian Region will take you to Murnau, a city rich in nature, art and culture. Situated at the foothills of the Bavarian Alps south of Munich, the charming town overlooks Lake Staffelsee and the nature reserve "Murnauer Moos."
Murnau’s landscape attracted world famous painters like Kandinsky and Münter in the early 1900s, and their Expressionistic works are remembered in local museums. The town features other world-class museums, in addition to colorful historic houses and shopping that’s comparable to bigger cities. Outdoor activities range from biking, hiking and swimming to ice skating, hockey and curling.
The cost of the trip is $550 (U.S.) – including airfare from any USAirways city, lodging, attraction tickets and most meals – and you can sign up by clicking here. It is open to full-time employees of NTA tour operators and is limited to one per company (sorry, no spouses). All questions should be directed to Eric Berger at Bavaria Tourism at 212-505-1893 or via e-mail at eric@peekmarketing.com or to Woody Peek at 615-778-9690 or via e-mail at woody@peekmarketing.com.
United States Inbound Travel Forecast
Curious about the latest projections for the United States inbound market in the coming years? Things look good, but just how good? To find out the answers, visit the U.S. Office of Travel and Tourism Industries’ forecast by clicking here.
This and other useful information pertaining to receptive services travel can be accessed through NTA’s Areas of Interest and Marketing program’s Web pages on NTA Online. You can click here to find additional helpful resources and learn about the Receptive Services travel AIM.
Deadlines to advertise in the Convention Daily Newsletter and Profile Form Notebook are coming up fast!
We get your company profile ready for every delegate by inserting it in the Profile Form Notebook before you leave for Convention. Your profile sheets can be double-sided and jam-packed with all your information. Space on the tab divider pages also is available to purchase. With many state/province and international tabs already sold, give us a call right away to see if yours is still open for advertising. The space deadline for profile forms is Sept. 15 and for tab advertisements, Sept. 1.
Reading the Convention Daily Newsletter is the way delegates start each day at Annual Convention, and you can get their attention first. Before the sun comes up each morning, every delegate receives a newsletter and you can bring immediate focus to your booth or destination by advertising in Convention Daily. Three- and five-day packages are available.
For more information on these two opportunities and more, click here or call 800-682-8886, ext. 4238 (U.S. and Canada), or 859-226-4238, or e-mail Darby Schulman to talk to your account executive.