Tuesday Newsletter
September 18, 2007
Tuesday Newsletter Sept. 18, 2007
Volume 27: Issue 38
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This issue of Tuesday is sponsored by Tourisme Montréal. North American life and European charm, a dynamic cultural scene and vibrant festivals where creativity never fails. Our goal is to help you in organizing events and tour packages. For a sweet escape, Montréal is an absolute must. It is an experience to live and share. |
| Interested in becoming a Tuesday sponsor? E-mail Karla DiNardo at karla.dinardo@NTA.travel. | |
NTA EVENTS
Capitol Steps Return to Issues Luncheon
Audio from First-timers Web Seminar Available
Sponsorship is Key to Added Visibility at Convention
Nevada Rocks is Ready to Roll at Convention
MEMBER BENEFITS
Where Your Tourism Cares Dollar Goes
Reach 24,500 Student Travel Planners through NTA
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Locations for 2008 NTA Board and Leadership Meetings Chosen
INDUSTRY NEWS
World Tourism Day Coming up Sept. 27
National Public Lands Day is Sept. 29
NTA EVENTS
Capitol Steps Return to Issues Luncheon
The Capitol Steps are returning to the NTA Convention and will be the featured entertainment at this year’s Issues Luncheon, Sunday, Nov. 4.
Members of the Capitol Steps include former and current congressional staffers who specialize in political humor. The group’s parody knows no party, and its bipartisan spoofs of the wacky world of politics will offer laughs for people of all political persuasions.
In addition to seeing the Capitol Steps, delegates also will get an update on current travel-related issues from NTA Legislative Counsel Jim Santini. The Issues Luncheon, sponsored by Motor Coach Industries, is a fundraiser that supports NTA’s government advocacy efforts through the Government Issues Fund and TourPAC.
Tickets are $50 before Convention, or may be purchased for $60 on site if you stop by the Issues Booth at NTA Central. Contact your NTA Member Services Team at 800.682.8886, (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4444 for advanced tickets.
Audio from First-timers Web Seminar Available
The audio portion of the recent Annual Convention prep Web seminar is available for first-timers or newcomers looking for information to help them get ready for the event. NTA Convention Chairman Bob Hofmann provided an overview of Convention and gave specifics on appointment scheduling and the Direct Request System. In addition, there was a question and answer session at the end.
Sponsorship is Key to Added Visibility at Convention
Sponsorships with your association are an excellent way of elevating your company or destination at the industry’s premier event – the NTA Annual Convention.
The NTA sponsorship program has been incredibly successful, and now you can join the many partners that see results and sponsor every year with NTA. Remaining sponsorships for the 2007 Convention start at $1,000 and go up to $50,000 for a lunch sponsorship. NTA prides itself on working with members to create packages tailored to meet each sponsor’s individual needs, and to help them receive the exposure they seek.
For more information on sponsoring with NTA, check out a list of opportunities, or contact NTA Vice President of Sales and Publishing Karla DiNardo at 800.682.8886, ext. 4232 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4232.
Nevada Rocks is Ready to Roll at Convention
Get your dancing shoes ready because Nevada Rocks is back. On Sunday, Nov. 4, at The Legends in Kansas City, Kansas, delegates from Nevada will be hosting all tour operators and inviting DMOs and tour suppliers to purchase tickets for this popular Convention event. To take advantage of this generous offer, tour operators need to pick up their complementary tickets at the Nevada booth on the Mall floor during Convention.
Tickets are $40 in advance and $50 on site, so be sure to contact your NTA Member Services team by calling 800.682.8886 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4444 to purchase them ahead of time. All proceeds benefit Tourism Cares, the official philanthropy of NTA.
Support Tourism Cares by making plans to enjoy the company of fellow NTA delegates for a night of good music, dancing, cocktails and conversation at the Nevada Rocks dance party.
MEMBER BENEFITS
Where Your Tourism Cares Dollar Goes
The board and staff at Tourism Cares are tremendously grateful for the support the organization receives from the NTA community. The work of Tourism Cares would not be possible without your help. With Convention quickly approaching, we wanted to take a moment to tell you where the funds raised at the Nevada Rocks dance party and the Tourism Cares auctions are used.
- Worldwide Grant Program: Tourism Cares awards grants to tourism-related, non-profit organizations around the world to assist with conservation and preservation initiatives. In 2006 alone, more than $360,000 in funding was awarded to organizations that range from The Museum of African American History in Boston to the Central Balkan-Kalofer Ecotourism Association in Bulgaria. Since its inception, Tourism Cares has been responsible for nearly $2 million in funding to deserving non-profit organizations worldwide through grants and matching funds.
- Education: Tourism Cares proudly provides scholarships to students studying hospitality and tourism across North America. This year Tourism Cares will award more than $50,000 in scholarships and service-learning grants to deserving students who represent our industry’s future workforce. To date, more than $1.5 million has been awarded to future industry professionals.
- Tourism Cares for America: The industry’s largest volunteer program, it enables the travel and tourism industry to give back by cleaning up and/or restoring tourism-related sites in need of care and rejuvenation. Since the inaugural project at Ellis Island in 2003 more than 1,800 volunteers have provided more than 30,000 hours of labor to help people and places in need.
Visit the Tourism Cares Web site for information on how to get involved to help with initiatives such as the ones listed above.
Reach 24,500 Student Travel Planners through NTA
Reaching the student travel niche market just got easier through NTA thanks to a new publication, The Trip Planner for Student Travel. The magazine, which provides a way for you to reach 24,500 student travel planners along with 1,400 NTA tour operators, is NTA’s only officially endorsed publication for the student market.
The Trip Planner for Student Travel will be mailed in February 2008 to these key student travel planners, and NTA members will receive a copy with the February issue of Courier. Tour operators can get their company’s message out through a directory listing for only $250, and tour suppliers and DMOs can take advantage of display advertising opportunities.
For more information on the only student publication endorsed by NTA, call 800.682.8886, ext. 4232 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4232.
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Locations for 2008 NTA Board and Leadership Meetings Chosen
NTA has selected the dates and sites for its 2008 Leadership and Board of Directors meetings.
Winter Board of Directors and Leadership Team – Jan. 5-8 in Portland, Oregon
Spring Board of Directors – March 29-31, in Boston, Massachusetts
Summer Board of Directors and Leadership Team – July 10-13 in Louisville, Kentucky
Fall Board of Directors – Sept. 11-13 in Riggins, Idaho
The association thanks all the destinations that submitted proposals to host one of the 2008 meetings.
INDUSTRY NEWS
World Tourism Day Coming up Sept. 27
According to the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization, the travel and tourism industry is the largest export earner of any business sector in the world. In honor of the role the industry plays, UNWTO has designated Sept. 27 as World Tourism Day. The day provides an officially sanctioned marker within the year to share the power of travel and engage local audiences – from visitors and media to legislators and other governing bodies.
UNWTO adopted the theme "Tourism Opens Doors for Women" for 2007 in recognition of the important contributions women have provided in the advancement of the tourism industry on a global level. Tourism is a sector of the economy that not only employs significant numbers of women, but also provides enormous opportunities for their advancement.
In the United States, the Travel Industry Association is leading the charge to promote the value of active programs that feature a region’s culture, history, lifestyle and attractions through the event. More information on TIA’s efforts, including materials and tools to assist in localized promotions relating to World Tourism Day, is available at http://www.tia.org/pressmedia/TWFA/world_tourism.html.
National Public Lands Day is Sept. 29
One-third of the land in the United States has been set aside as open space, including 600 million acres of parks, refuges, forests, wetlands, cultural sites and other shared areas. To help improve and clean up these resources, three U.S. federal agencies came together in 1994 and started National Public Lands Day, and the 14th edition will take place Sept. 29.
Over the past 13 years, the National Public Lands Day has become the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands Americans enjoy. In 2006, 100,000 volunteers built trails and bridges, planted trees and plants, and removed trash and invasive plants. This effort annually helps enhance the partnership between these fragile destinations and local community members.
All 391 National Park Service sites will offer free visitor admission for National Public Lands Day and many will host special programs and volunteer work parties. In addition, anyone who volunteers at an NPS area on Sept. 29 will receive a free one-day pass valid for future use at any site.
To find out how and where you can get involved, visit http://www.publiclandsday.org/.