Tuesday Newsletter
April 5, 2005
Tuesday Newsletter April 5, 2005
April 5, 2005: Volume 25; Issue 7
I am pleased to welcome you to the first edition of your weekly Tuesday!
As you’ll notice, this issue of the National Tour Association’s e-newsletter looks and feels a little different. The main change is that Tuesday is now a weekly newsletter, so you can stay current every week with the latest association news.
Relevant and timely communication is important to any organization, but it is especially magnified in the fast-paced world of tourism and travel. To that end, making Tuesday a weekly e-newsletter is the major component of our association’s streamlined member communications effort.
Another part is cutting back on the number of e-mails you receive. There will be a few occasions where you’ll get additional e-mails on important topics such as member elections and surveys, but those will be kept to a minimum. The goal is for Tuesday to be your main source for association news. With that in mind, it is important for you to become a regular Tuesday reader since, if it pertains to NTA, you’ll find it in Tuesday.
Thanks for your enthusiasm and passion for the association and happy reading!
Ann Thomas, CTP
NTA Chairman
Bylaw Vote Complete, Organization is National Tour Association
The bylaw amendment proposing to formally change the name of the National Tour Association to CrossSphere was defeated by a vote of 320 to 94, with 77 percent in support of the name NTA. A two-thirds majority of those voting was needed to pass the amendment, and therefore, the association will be known as the National Tour Association.
Ballots were counted at NTA headquarters on March 25 by the association’s General Counsel Rob Maclin, with support from several NTA staff members. NTA members Michael Kleine-Kracht of Visitours and Cindy Nevitt of Derby Dinner Playhouse also were on hand to observe the counting.
Spring Meet a Sacramento Success Story
California’s capital city rolled out the red carpet for NTA and hit a high note with warm hospitality and well-planned sightseeing tours. Spring Meet delegates were especially appreciative of Sacramento’s $5,000 donation on their behalf to the Cure Breast Cancer Fund.
The Spring Meet educational seminars, the "speed dating" networking session and the crackerbarrels helped tour operators focus on the business at hand – finding ways to improve their businesses. Audio links from many of these sessions will be available at NTA Online in the near future
A special thanks goes out to all the Spring Meet sponsors and to the Sacramento CVB for all of their efforts in making the event a huge success. NTA Government Relations also sends a big thank you to those who purchased items in its Silent Auction, which raised $5,370 for the Government Issues Fund.
Next year the spotlight shines on Louisville, Ky., as the 2006 Spring Meet will be held there March 22-25.
Past Presidents, Board of Directors Meet in Sacramento
The Past Presidents/Chairmen Council held its annual meeting in conjunction with the Tour Operator Spring Meet in Sacramento, Calif. The NTA Board of Directors also held a brief meeting at the Spring Meet.
During one of the highest attended meetings in recent years, the Past Presidents/Chairmen Council stated its full confidence in the board, the management staff and the association. Also, the council formulated 15 recommendations and suggestions for the board to consider, many of which had to do with enhanced member focus and involvement in the association.
In its brief meeting, the board reviewed recent developments, including the bylaw vote results. The board received updates on other association business, including plans and timetables for transitioning back to the National Tour Association name. It also began developing the agenda for the upcoming Strategic Planning meeting to be held April 28-29 in Reno, Nev.
Are You Taking Full Advantage of Your Membership?
Why do you belong to any professional organization? Increased opportunities, results and resources, right?
You’ve renewed your membership for 2005 because you know that NTA is the best place to find business. You also can find value in the association beyond the seven-minute appointments at Annual Convention through value-added benefits. Be sure to check out our extensive list of member benefits at NTA Online. Some of these programs you may use daily and others may be completely new to you. Be sure you are familiar with these resources, so they can be of assistance to you and your business in 2005.
Please note that, due to the recent bylaw vote, new NTA member materials are currently in production. Watch your mail for the new NTA decal. If you have questions about member benefits or the new decals, contact NTA Member Services at 800.682.8886 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4444.
Momentum Building for Tourism Cares Event
Tourism Cares for Tomorrow has just released updated information about companies that are helping sponsor its Tourism-Caring for America clean-up day to be held May 13 at Mount Vernon, Va. Are you registered? Is your company listed? If the answer to either of those is no, then contact Executive Director Bruce Beckham, CTP, bruceb@tourismcaresfortomorrow.org to get in on the fun of this industry-wide outreach event or register on-line at http://www.tourismcaresfortomorrow.org/.
Sponsors helping with the 2005 project include NTA, USTOA, ABA and SYTA, in addition to American Express, Amtrak, Best Western Tysons Westpark, Celebrate Virginia!, Choice Hotels, the cities of Alexandria and Roanoke, CoachQuote.com, Collette Vacations, Edelman, Globus & Cosmos, Fairfax County, Kodak, Ma Cher, Marriott Hotels, Mohegan Sun, Mount Vernon Food Court, New World Tours, Old Town Trolley, PhotoVision, The Ritz-Carlton, Smithsonian Magazine, Spirit Cruises, Tauck World Discovery and Virginia Tourism Corporation.
Celebrate See America Week/NTW May 7-15
In support of See America Week/NTW, formerly known as National Tourism Week, NTA encourages you to host local events promoting travel and tourism within your respective states and across the country.
The Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) can help you promote activities related to See America Week/NTW, to be held May 7-15, in a variety of ways. Each year, TIA publishes a National Tourism Week Activities and Events Roundup and free listings are available to both TIA members and non-members if the information is applicable to See America Week/NTW. Listings appear alphabetical by state and city and include a contact person from your company at the end of each description. The deadline to submit material is Monday, April 25.
Check out other ways to promote travel and tourism this year by visiting http://www.tia.org/.
Hall of Fame Event: Come Wave the Flag
There is no better way to spend Flag Day – June 14 – than by joining the gala event to celebrate the induction of Gil Haroche of Liberty/GOGO and John Stachnik of Mayflower Tours to the Tourism Cares for Tomorrow Hall of Fame.
Tourism Cares has posted bios of these two industry greats on line, as well as information about how to reserve tables, rooms and/or become a sponsor for the event. Visit http://www.tourismcaresfortomorrow.org/ to save space and join in the Hall of Fame celebration at the Sheraton New York City.
Remembering Three Industry Friends
Three travel professionals passed away recently. Here is information on each:
Dianne Nelson Binger
Dianne Nelson Binger, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau, died March 23 after a long struggle with cancer. She was 54 years old.
Dianne was a respected leader in Salt Lake’s business community and in the national convention industry. She had been the bureau president since 2001, and her tenure included leading the Salt Lake Bureau during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. She had been with the Salt Lake Bureau since 1987, when she was director of convention sales. In 1993, she was promoted to vice president of convention sales and was names senior vice president in 1998.
A fund has been established in Dianne’s memory to benefit the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City.
René Campbell
René Campbell, who served as executive director with the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau since May 2004, suffered an aneurysm and died unexpectedly March 27.
Prior to moving to North Carolina, she had worked with the Columbus (Ind.) Area Visitor Center, had been the director of the Appalachian Tourism Research and Development Center and was a marketing consultant for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She was very involved with the association as she served on NTA’s Board of Directors, including being the chairman of the Tour Supplier Council in 1991, and was on the National Tourism Foundation Board of Trustees from 1996-2002, including being the chairman in 2001.
Donations may be made in memory of René to the scholarship fund at Tourism Cares for Tomorrow. Please send checks to: Tourism Cares, 585 Washington St., Canton, MA 02021 and mark them "In memory of René Campbell."
Jennifer Sears
Jennifer Alexander Sears died in her sleep March 18 after a long battle with brain cancer. She was 48 years old.
Jennifer traveled all over the world as a tour guide while on the staff of Grand National Tours and Jan Jackson Travel. She was national director of sales for the corporate office of Shilo Inns, director of sales for the Washington County Visitor and Convention Bureau and, at the time of her death, was executive director of the Lincoln City (Ore.) Visitors and Convention Bureau.
Donations may be mailed in her memory to the city of Lincoln City, 801 Southwest Highway 101, Suite 1, Lincoln City, OR 97367. Checks should be made out to "City of Lincoln City" and envelopes should be marked "Jennifer Sears Fund."
Advertise in the July Issue of Courier
The deadline for space in the July 2005 issue of Courier will be here before you know it. The July edition will feature outdoor/adventure product, as well as zoos and aquariums. The East and West will be highlighted with trip planners on Southern California and Mexico’s Baja Coast and Classic New England (Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont). Travel Guides for Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia will spotlight the Central United States.
Call your account executive today to set up an advertising plan for this issue, or contact Taryn Lendrum, NTA advertising coordinator. You can reach her at 800.682.8886, ext. 3549 (U.S. and Canada), or 859.219.3549, or via e-mail at taryn.lendrum@hostcommunications.com.