Tuesday Newsletter
June 21, 2005
Tuesday Newsletter June 21, 2005
June 21, 2005: Volume 25; Issue 18
This is the second installment of Chris’ Corner, a series of articles that will appear in Tuesday each month leading up to Annual Convention, in which 2005 Convention Chair Chris Shepler shares his thoughts.
OK, tour operators, here’s the deal. If you haven’t had time to get signed up for the 2005 NTA Convention, today’s the day. Increase your bottom line. Create new business possibilities. Hang out with good friends. Make some new ones. See a really cool city. The possibilities are endless.
That’s right, register now and all these things could be yours. Makes perfect sense to me. Make sense to you? And, oh, I almost forgot. You also can win a two-year lease on a 2006 Chevy Malibu Maxx. Or take the $5,000 cash alternative and run with it. It’s up to you, but only if you register by the July 8 early-bird deadline.
Already registered? Good for you. Haven’t signed up yet? Better get moving. After all, are you going to let a chance to get behind that wheel leave you in the dust? I sure hope not. The early-bird registration fee for Convention? $210. Winning a new car? Priceless.
And to the DMOs and my fellow suppliers, don’t think I’ve forgotten about you. You need to get signed up, too, because more tour operators means more buyers, which means more business for those of us who are selling. So, it works for everybody.
Better Business. Better Be There.
NTA Tour Operators Offer Consumers Diverse Products
The effort by NTA tour operator members to adapt their businesses to remain dynamic and relevant in today’s changing industry by offering a broad range of products for customers is working, according to recent NTA research that indicates tour operators are meeting the demands of today’s diverse traveler.
In a Web-based quarterly study of tour operator business conducted by NTA, results show that nearly all NTA tour operator companies (96 percent) offer escorted group tours. More than half of operators (51 percent) offer one-day sightseeing tours, with the same number offering receptive services to other tour operators. Nearly half (49 percent) of companies offer independent packages, a 26 percent increase over 2003.
While 35 percent of companies offer sightseeing tours as a component of conferences/conventions, 18 percent of companies are involved with any or all of the components of meeting planning. Additionally, 15 percent of companies offer an independent charter service with their own motorcoaches to groups other than the ones traveling on their regular packaged tours.
Operator-to-Operator Business Vital to NTA Tour Operators
NTA members recognize that partnering among their peers is an important part of building business in the packaged travel industry. According to a recent NTA study, the association found that 17 percent of tour operator business comes from other tour operators. It also noted that a growing number of operators rely on other operators to purchase their product and more than half of NTA tour operators (51 percent) offer receptive services.
"Partnering between tour operators is becoming the norm rather than the exception," NTA Chairman and CEO, Ann Thomas, CTP, said. "With smaller groups, closer booking times and diverse travel requests, it has become the sensible thing to do."
NTA continues to provide programs that deliver bottom-line results for tour operators. These members meet one-on-one with suppliers and DMOs at the Annual Convention, and they also participate in partnering sessions with other tour operators at the Convention and Tour Operator Spring Meet.
At the 2005 Tour Operator Spring Meet, NTA revamped the Tour Operator Partnering Session around the "speed dating" business meeting concept. This format, which received an extremely high rating from Spring Meet participants, increases the number of operator business contacts participants make by giving each operator approximately three minutes to explain unique ideas they have for packaging their product. The speed dating concept will be incorporated at the 2005 NTA Annual Convention in Detroit.
NTA Benefit Assessment Survey Update
You should have received an e-mail on June 14 with a link to an NTA Benefit Assessment Survey. Please take the time to complete this survey, as this is a great opportunity for you to shape the association through your responses as we move forward toward the coming year.
If you did not receive this e-mail, or if you have any questions about the survey, please contact Sandy Stansfield, CTP, via e-mail at sandy.stansfield@ntastaff.com. Another reminder e-mail with a link to the survey will be sent June 22 to all members who haven’t filled it out.
Have you ever wondered about the proper business etiquette for a certain situation in your own country or in others? As tour operators, tour suppliers and DMOs are expanding their business outside of North American borders, it becomes more and more important to understand the various etiquette rules in the multitude of countries and cultures that exist.
At http://www.executiveplanet.com/ you will find an International Business Culture and Etiquette Web site that provides information on the proper protocol for doing business with people from around the world. You simply select the flag of the nation you wish to research, and you can learn about the country itself, business attire, ways of addressing others and much more. The site is a great resource for countries from Argentina to Yemen.
This and other helpful information for your business can be found on the Cultural & Life Enrichment Areas of Interest and Marketing (AIM) page on NTA Online. For further information on the Cultural & Life Enrichment AIM, click here.
Hall of Fame Gala Dinner a Smash
More than 560 tourism industry professionals attended Tourism Cares for Tomorrow’s Gala Hall of Fame Dinner in New York City on June 14, where John Stachnik (Mayflower Tours) and Gilbert Haroche (Liberty Travel/GOGO) were inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Tourism Cares Executive Director Bruce Beckham, CTP, served as emcee for the evening, and 2004 honoree Bill LaMacchia of Mark Travel presented the awards to his colleagues. Major sponsors for the event included dozens of tour and travel companies, with special thanks to Liberty/GOGO, Mayflower Tours and Starwood Hotels and Resorts.
Funds raised will support the preservation and education programs at Tourism Cares. To learn more about Tourism Cares’ mission and programming, click here.
NTA Welcomes New United Airlines Contact
United Airlines is pleased to announce that Laura Ziliak is the new account manager who will be working with NTA members to assist them in the utilization of the NTA/United partnership. Ziliak can be reached at 847-700-6394 or via e-mail at laura.ziliak@united.com.
To learn more about what benefits United offers NTA members, such as zone pricing and group discounts and ticketing, click here. Information on NTA’s other Transportation Providers also is available at NTA Online.
NTA Logos Available to Download
One of the benefits of membership in NTA is the ability to promote your affiliation with a well-known professional travel association. To do that, make sure you have the current versions of the NTA logo for all your business’ promotional materials.
Members can get access to color and black and white versions of the NTA logo by clicking here, then entering their member ID and password.
Here is a suggested list of places you can utilize the NTA logo:
For further questions on this, or if you are having trouble downloading the logos, contact Andrea Richardson at 800-862-8886, ext. 5019 (U.S. and Canada) or 859-425-5019.
Be a Convention Final Night Sponsor
Why not leave a lasting impression on the contacts you meet at NTA’s Annual Convention in Detroit? Final Night sponsorships give you the opportunity to do that.
Available sponsorships for Final Night include the reception, after party, dinner and dance band. These Final Night sponsorships entitle your company to several benefits, including premium booth space on the Convention floor, one complimentary 2006 NTA membership and Convention registration, one reserved table for sit-down meal events, guaranteed acceptance in the Tour & Travel Exchange® (one per company) and much more that will increase your visibility to all Convention delegates.
For more information, regarding Final Night sponsorships, e-mail Karla DiNardo. To view all available sponsorships, click here.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE –
The Wildlife Conservation Society at the Bronx Zoo has openings for the following two positions:
Associate Manager Sponsorship with 3+ years experience in sponsorship sales and/or promotions marketing with emphasis on phone sales and solution selling. Bachelor’s degree required.
Group Sales Manager Proven experience in development and management of annual sales area plan, staff quotas and area budget control. Proficiency in MS Office. Must have valid driver’s license. Bachelor’s degree required.
Excellent benefits package including three weeks vacation, medical/dental and pension plan. For a full job description and application instructions, please visit our Web site, http://www.wcs.org/.