Tuesday Newsletter
August 10, 2004
Aug. 10, 2004: Volume 24; Issue 15
9/11 Commission Report: What it Means for You
On July 22, the bipartisan 9/11 Commission issued its Final Report concerning the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The wide-ranging report gave an overview of al-Qaeda’s preparation for the attacks and the U.S. reaction to them.
The report issued many recommendations to prevent a repeat of that tragic day. Among the recommendations are two that specifically address travel and tourism.
"The recommendations of the 9/11 Commission’s report mesh well with the National Tour Association’s call for establishing an Office of Traveler Impact Assessment within the Department of Homeland Security," said NTA President Hank Phillips, CTP. "The creation of OTIA would serve as a catalyst for the identification of problems and the development of standards that would create a comprehensive, yet transparent, security system for the traveling public."
Expedited treatment of qualified passengers would also be facilitated by OTIA.
"The National Tour Association has discussed swift processing of motorcoaches and group travelers with the Department of Homeland Security. We will continue to engage and educate DHS and press them to increase safety methods and procedures without discouraging travel and tourism," Phillips said.
Legislation to create OTIA is being drafted by Jon Porter (R-Nev.) and is expected to be introduced shortly. For information about OTIA and how you can help pass this important legislation, contact NTA’s Government and Industry Relations department at 800-682-8886, ext. 4250 (U.S. and Canada), or 859-226-4250.
Think Fast – Online Web Seminar for DMOs is Thursday, Aug. 12
NTA and the International Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus have teamed up to bring to you a free Web seminar titled "Tools for Evaluating Return on Investment." If you have ever struggled to place a value on your attendance at a trade show or calculate the economic impact the leisure traveler is brings to your area, this is the session for you.
The session is Thursday, Aug. 12 at 3 p.m. EST. To learn more about the seminar and speakers, and to access the online registration form, click here. You can register right up until the session starts and, after you’ve signed up, you’ll receive e-mail confirmation complete with Web and audio instructions.
For questions about the seminar or the registration procedure, e-mail Lisa Nelson, NTA director of research and education, or call 800-682-8886, ext. 4215 (U.S. and Canada), or 859-226-4215.
Appointment Scheduling Begins This Week
The time to begin charting your course for the Tour & Travel Exchange at Annual Convention is now. The appointment request process will open this week. Watch your e-mail for the opening date and time and your log-in information. NTA’s online appointment request system allows you to sign-up for pre-scheduled time slots during which you can meet with other delegates to discuss business and partnering.
Go to http://www.ntaonline.com/www.ntaonline.com and click on the appointment request link under "What’s New" to start researching companies you’re interested in doing business with and to submit the names of companies with whom you’d like to meet. Through the online system, you can do detailed searches and review tour operator profile forms. After all appointment requests are received, NTA will run them through a computerized matching process to determine schedules, which will be available approximately three weeks prior to Convention.
If you don’t want to schedule online, you can make selections by using a form that will be mailed out in early September (NOTE – both the mailed and online submissions must be received by Oct. 1). The third option is to attend the Appointment Scheduling Session the morning of Saturday, Nov. 13, at Convention. This one-hour session gives you a chance to make last-minute additions to your intinerary for the seven-minute appointments at the Tour & Travel Exchange.
Calling All Convention First-Timers
You’ve heard and read a lot about Annual Convention and you decided this is your year to check it out. You’re signed up for your first Convention and are beginning to think about how you can prepare. Well, watch your e-mail, as the first issue of this year’s First-Timer Facts will be heading your way Aug. 19.
The newsletter provides you with many suggestions on how best to prepare and what to expect in Toronto. You’ll receive three issues, each of which will help equip you so you can make the most out of your Convention experience. This first issue contains information on topics ranging from appointment scheduling, to registering for first-timer Web casts, to signing up for the Buddy Program – which allows you to be paired with a Convention veteran who’ll show you the ropes.
Electronic Lead Retrieval Set for Convention
Keeping track of your Convention leads should be much easier in 2004, thanks to American Exposition Technologies’ (AET) ExpoBadge scanner. The scanner is a small battery-operated device that lets delegates to gather all of their leads electronically in Toronto while organizing them in such a way that should make Convention followup more manageable.
ExpoBadge, which is the size of a micro-cassette recorder, allows you to electronically record information on all of the people you talk to and select the type of action you’ll need to take once you’ve returned home. Once Convention ends, your leads can be printed out, downloaded to a disk or e-mailed.
The scanners are available from AET for $110 each, which is a significant savings over previous year’s lead retrieval system. Be sure to rent your scanner prior to arriving in Toronto, as only a limited number will be available to rent onsite. To reserve yours, click here or contact AET by calling 800-490-9941 or 714-712-7380. Once you’ve done that, you can also customize your action codes by filling out this form.
There are many ways to learn more about the candidates running for NTA’s Board of Director and officer positions as you make your decision about who will lead your organization in 2004.
One way is to log onto the candidate’s forum section of NTA Online, post questions for the candidates and read their responses. You can click here and read detailed profiles and see a picture of each candidate. Also stay tuned for upcoming Web seminars where you can ask questions of the candidates and get their answers live.
So take advantage of these ways to learn more about the candidates and be ready to cast your vote. Remember that, for the first time, voting for board seats will occur before the Annual Convention.
If you have questions on the new voting process or about the election, e-mail Todd Hamilton or call 800-682-8886, ext. 4205 (U.S. and Canada), or 859-226-4205
Kingston and Ottawa – A Capital Experience
Two of the Fams at NTA Convention can help you learn about the building of a nation and discover the hidden jewels within two great Canadian cities, Kingston and Ottawa. Trips to these destinations are being offered both before and after Convention.
These tours provide an introduction to Canada’s culture and history through discovery and hands-on activities. On the Fam trips, you will journey from the first capital, Kingston – through delightful shopping, dining and site-seeing – to Canada’s current capital, Ottawa – a city alive with a multi-cultural flair and plenty to see and do. From the festivals and museums to great recreational and entertainment activities, Ottawa and Kingston offer historic charm and vibrant culture in a beautiful setting.
To get more information on these and other 2004 Convention Fams, or to sign up click here.
If so, sign up for the 2004 NTA Product Development Trip to Eastern Switzerland and the Lake Geneva Region. Hosted by Switzerland Tourism, this fact-finding and information-sharing tour will take place Dec. 3-9, 2004, and give those in attendance a chance to meet with local receptive operators.
After arriving in Zurich on Dec. 4 the group will meet in cosmopolitan St. Gallen, for a workshop and product seminars on the cities and culture in Switzerland. Participants will receive information on special interest programs and discuss possible tour packages with more than 25 Swiss suppliers. Included will be an excursion to the Appenzellerland, a tiny county in Northeast where the famous Appenzeller cheese is produced.
The trip will then take NTA tour operators to the typical Swiss town of Bern and to the Bernese Oberland. From there, NTA members will take the Golden Pass to Montreux in the Lake Geneva and Matterhorn Region. Visitors will choose from several different options for excursions and daytrips to explore the lake, cities and the countryside of the area before coming back together for a farewell dinner in Lausanne.
To see the complete itinerary for the trip, click here.
The deadline to sign up for the trip is October 15, 2004. For registration and further information go to http://usa.myswitzerland.com/en/na/nta/2004_nta_registration.cfm. If you have other questions or any special requests, please contact Ms. Noelle Tscherrig at 212-757-5944, ext. 231 (noelle.tscherrig@switzerland.com) or Patrick Flad at 212-757-5944, ext. 230 (patrick.flad@switzerland.com).
Foundation Attends International CHRIE Conference
The National Tourism Foundation was well represented at the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education’s 2004 Annual Conference & Exposition, July 27-Aug. 1 in Philadelphia. Nearly 600 people, representing hospitality and tourism schools from around the world, attended the event and helped the Foundation continue to assess the needs of today’s travel and tourism students.
Assistant Executive Director Nancy Meyers familiarized delegates with the Foundation’s scholarships, awards and programs from a booth on the show floor. She received good feedback from I-CHRIE’s delegates on a variety of the Foundation’s programs. "Attendees were especially interested in learning more about our new Practitioners in the Classroom program and the opportunities available on our new Web site," said Meyers.
The educators were impressed with the new Practitioners in the Classroom program, which connects students and educators with industry professionals, and some noted that they would like to see even more hospitality professionals listed. International delegates expressed appreciation for the online database of internships with tour operators, destination marketing organizations and tour suppliers.
NTA members can take advantage of this feedback and help keep the Foundation going strong by continuing to post internships and by signing up for Practitioners in the Classroom at http://www.ntfonline.org/
I-CHRIE, is the global advocate of hospitality and tourism education for schools, colleges and universities that offer programs in hotel and restaurant management, food service management and culinary arts. I-CHRIE has more than 1,300 members in 52 countries. For additional information, visit http://www.chrie.org/.
Toronto VIP Package Winners Announced
Toronto’s 2004 NTA Convention Host Committee has selected the winners of its VIP package vacations. The lucky quartet, selected in a random drawing, includes:
The prize packages include accommodations in one of Toronto’s premier downtown hotels, fine dining at many well-known restaurants and tickets to a top-notch theatre production. They can be used during Convention or before August 2005.
The Toronto Host Committee would like to thank all of our generous sponsors for their contributions to this prize package.
Get Your Name In Front of all the Tour Operators at Convention
Make sure to reserve your space in the Profile Form Notebook, the tour operators’ bible, at the Tour & Travel Exchange. There are two ways to spread your message:
The deadline is fast approaching, so call now at 800-682-8886, ext. 3549 (U.S. and Canada), or 859-219-3549 for rates and availability.