Tuesday Newsletter
July 17, 2007
Tuesday Newsletter July 17, 2007
Volume 27: Issue 29
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This issue of Tuesday is sponsored by VisitBritain. For everything you need to know about developing tours to Britain, and to find out about all the British partners who will be joining us at the NTA Convention this year, go to www.visitbritain.com/operators. See you there!. |
| Interested in becoming a Tuesday sponsor? E-mail Karla DiNardo at karla.dinardo@NTA.travel. | |
NTA EVENTS
Appointment Scheduling Opens Tomorrow
Don’t Miss Your Chance to Gain Visibility at the NTA Convention
ASSOCIATION NEWS
NTA Leadership Team Met Over the Weekend, Committee Reports Posted
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
NTA Speaks Out Against Manhattan Congestion Pricing Plan
MEMBER BENEFITS
Three More Trip Planner Magazines to be Produced in 2008
Tourism Cares Announces Summer 2007 Worldwide Grants
Reach Every Tour Operator at Convention with the Profile Form Notebook
INDUSTRY NEWS
Seven New Wonders of the World Announced
NTA EVENTS
Appointment Scheduling Opens Tomorrow
It is time to begin researching and preparing your list of appointment requests for the 2007 NTA Tour & Travel Exchange at the NTA Annual Convention. The appointment request system opens tomorrow, July 18, at noon ET. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- The online request system will be available until Oct. 5.
- You will need your registration number to log on to the request system.
- You can update your request list as often as you’d like prior to Oct. 5, just make sure to save your changes each time you make them.
- The date when requests are submitted will not affect your scheduling, so take your time and feel free to revise your selections.
- Seven-minute appointments are back! After feedback from members, all appointments that take place in the Tour & Travel Exchange will be seven minutes.
While the deadline to submit your requests is not until Oct. 5, you should begin your research as soon as possible. You can research potential business partners using the online request system’s extensive search features and member profiles and add appropriate companies to your request list. Creating the best request list possible takes time and effort, so be sure to plan accordingly. Remember, your business appointments will only be as good as the request list that you create.
Not registered for Convention yet? There’s still time. Don’t miss new business venues including the Destination Pavilion and the Buyer-to-Buyer Exchange. For more information, contact your NTA Member Services Team at 800.682.8886 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4444.
Don’t Miss Your Chance to Gain Visibility at the NTA Convention
Lock in on one of several advertising opportunities to increase your visibility at the 2007 NTA Convention, Nov. 2-6, in Kansas City, Missouri. There are many ways to help expand your business and get your marketing message out to the thousands of travel professionals who will be at Convention including:
- The October edition of Courier is the Annual Convention issue and features bonus distribution at Convention. The deadline to advertise is July 26.
- The December edition of Courier is the post-Convention issue and provides a recap of NTA’s premier event. The deadline to advertise is Sept. 26.
- The Convention Daily newsletter, which is distributed each day to delegates as they enter the convention center, provides a great way to set yourself apart from your competitors and showcase your company or destination. The deadline to advertise is Sept. 1.
- The Profile Form Notebook is a three-ring binder used throughout the week – and beyond – by tour operators for itinerary development. Choose full-page tab advertising or let us insert your customized profile sheet in every tour operator’s notebook. The deadline to advertise is Sept. 1.
Take a look at the media kit for rates or more details. Please e-mail Karla DiNardo or call her at 800.682.8886, ext. 4232 (U.S. or Canada) or 859.226.4232 to take advantage of these ways to publicize your company or destination and elevate your promotional value. top of page
ASSOCIATION NEWS
NTA Leadership Team Met Over the Weekend, Committee Reports Posted
The NTA Leadership Team and Board of Directors spent last weekend in their July meeting looking at ways to bring more business to members, focusing on ways to increase members’ bottom lines and improve the value of NTA membership.
During the meetings, the leadership group – comprising 60 people who represent a cross-section of tour operators, tour suppliers and DMOs from U.S., Canadian and international members – reviewed extensive member research, industry trends and an environmental scan to drive their discussion. As the team moves forward with further discussion and planning, gathering feedback from all members will be a critical part of the conversation and research.
The Leadership Team also spent time in committee meetings and applied the full group discussion into various programming areas including the Convention and government relations. Click here for these meeting highlights. Next week’s issue of Tuesday will include a recap of the NTA Board of Directors meeting.
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
NTA Speaks Out Against Manhattan Congestion Pricing Plan
In communication to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, members of the New York City Council and state Gov. Eliot Spitzer, NTA expressed concern over the ambiguous treatment of motorcoaches in the proposed congestion pricing plan.
The proposal was introduced in the New York State Senate in June and would require most drivers to pay $8 for entering Manhattan below 86th Street between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays. NTA wants to ensure that motorcoaches are recognized as part of the solution to traffic congestion, not part of the problem, and therefore exempt from any congestion charges.
In a letter to New York lawmakers, NTA Chairman and CEO Randy Julian stated, "I hope that the beneficial aspects to motorcoach travel are taken into account as this system is developed. Motorcoaches should be exempt from any congestion charges."
NTA’s Government Relations Department will keep you updated on this situation.
MEMBER BENEFITS
Three More Trip Planner Magazines to be Produced in 2008
NTA tour operators identified group leaders, student packagers and consumers as very important markets they want to reach. In response, your association is publishing a series of publications to promote NTA members to these key markets. NTA will distribute The Trip Planner for Group Leaders this September, followed in 2008 by:
- The Trip Planner for Student Travel (published in February 2008, circulation is 29,000)
This publication will reach 24,500 student travel planners who represent the following segments: science and social studies teachers, choral and music educators, principals and university music directors. - The Trip Planner for Travelers (published in May 2008, circulation is 32,500)
This publication will reach 28,000 specifically qualified travelers who have an average annual income of $82,500 and an average net worth of $598,200. Of the prospects, 96 percent have traveled domestically in the last 12 months, 60 percent have traveled abroad in the last three years and 36 percent have taken a cruise in the last three years. - The Trip Planner for Group Leaders (published in August 2008, circulation is 24,500)
The second edition of the The Trip Planner for Group Leaders links members with more than 20,000 qualified group leaders that represent alumni groups, seniors, bank travel, hospitals, religious and travel clubs, among others.
The magazine-size publications boast a year-long shelf-life and will include articles geared especially for those markets and a tour operator directory. In addition to the targeted audience, each issue also will be sent to all NTA members, including more than 1,400 tour operators.
More information about this series of new NTA publications is available at http://www.nta.travel/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=27&url_subchannel_id=&url_article_id=3499&change_well_id=2 or e-mail NTA Vice President of Sales and Publishing Karla DiNardo or call her at 800.682.8886, ext. 4232 (U.S. or Canada), or 859.226.4232.
Tourism Cares Announces Summer 2007 Worldwide Grants
As part of its mission, Tourism Cares, NTA’s official philanthropy, distributes grants three times a year to worthy nonprofit organizations. Through its Worldwide Grant Program, Tourism Cares recently awarded $70,000 to the following seven organizations:
These grants will assist in the conservation, preservation and restoration of these cultural and historic sites and help preserve their heritage for future generations. Most of the recipients also received matching funds from other organizations, so the total economic impact is expected to reach $120,000.
For more information on these and all of the outstanding organizations receiving grants from Tourism Cares, or to learn about grant guidelines and the application process please visit http://tourismcares.org/.
Reach Every Tour Operator at Convention with the Profile Form Notebook
Looking for a way to eliminate the need to ship boxes of your company’s profile sheets to the 2007 NTA Annual Convention? By having your company information pre-inserted into the Profile Form Notebook before the 2007 Convention, you can save this additional step and still reach NTA tour operators.
The Profile Form Notebook, a three-ring binder that is divided into state, provincial and international sections, is placed in every tour operator’s booth on the Tour & Travel Exchange floor at Convention. This publication is a year-long planning tool for the association’s operators and offers great visibility at a great price.
Premium space is available on a first-come, first-served basis for all state/province/international tabs for your company’s full-page advertisement and there is unlimited space behind each tab for your company’s double-sided profile sheet. The space deadline is Aug. 15, so book your space now and be sure to be in front of every attending tour operator – not just the ones you will meet during your appointments.
To reach your account executive call 800.682.8886, ext. 4232 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4232 or e-mail advertising@NTA.travel for more information.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Seven New Wonders of the World Announced
The seven "new" wonders of the world were revealed in a gala celebration held in Lisbon, Portugal, July 7. The new wonders are the Great Wall of China, India’s Taj Mahal, the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, the Colosseum in Rome, Petra in Jordan, the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro and the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza in Mexico. The one remaining wonder from the original list, the Pyramids of Giza, also was recognized during the announcement.
A private Swiss foundation launched the contest in January, and nearly 100 million people cast ballots at http://www.new7wonders.com/. For inclusion in the list, the new wonders had to be man-made, completed by 2000 and in an acceptable state of preservation.
One of the wonders, Machu Picchu, will be a featured stop on the NTA Product Development Trip to Peru, which will take place Dec. 6-12. Tour operators wishing to be part of this trip need to be registered by Oct. 8 and questions can be directed to Lisa Thompson, NTA’s Vice President of Marketing, at 800.682.8886, ext. 4215 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4215.