Tuesday Newsletter

Click here to register for the 2007 NTA Annual Convention in Kansas City, Missouri, Nov. 2-6, to remain eligible for the $650 rebate. For more information please visit the Convention Web site or contact your Member Services team at 800.682.8886 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4444.

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Three NTA Road Shows Held Last Week

Last week was a busy one for NTA leaders and members, as three NTA Road Shows took place. In consecutive days, events held in Northern California, Southern California and Chicago allowed a combined 95 association members and prospects to hear from an NTA Board of Directors representative and ask questions about NTA or the industry in general.

In the California sessions, members explored ways they could work together to have an increased presence through NTA avenues like sponsorship and hosting a Product Development Trip. NTA’s Tracking Initiative was talked about at the Chicago Road Show, and tour operators were encouraged to participate, if they hadn’t already, in this key program to help DMOs and tour suppliers. Enhancements to the 2007 Annual Convention, including the Destination Pavilion and Buyer-to-Buyer Exchange, also were discussed.

NTA would like to thank event sponsors – Great America (Northern California), Marriott Hotels of Anaheim (Southern California) and The Field Museum (Chicago).

Other upcoming NTA Road Shows include New York City (July 18) and Florida (September, exact date to be announced). When available, finalized dates and details for the Florida Road Show will be published in Tuesday. Also, if a Road Show is coming to your area, watch your e-mail for an invitation.

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Rare Opportunity Available for Registration Bag Sponsorship

Looking for a way to have every Convention delegate carrying your message around with them in Kansas City? You can make a lasting impression by sponsoring the registration bags for this year’s Annual Convention, Nov. 2-6.

Given to every delegate upon check-in and used throughout the week and beyond, registration bags can be emblazoned with your company’s/destination’s logo. This sponsorship provides high visibility and a nice amenity to share with the tour operators and your tourism colleagues. Furthermore, the registration bag sponsorship can be very affordable through a co-op sponsorship when you share the cost with other tour supplier or DMO members.

For more information on this and all of the sponsorships available at Annual Convention, contact Karla DiNardo at 800.682.8886, ext. 4232, or 859.226.4232.

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GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

U.S. State Department Tightens Proof of Passport Requirement

The U.S. Department of State has modified the security standards regarding the proof of passport application provision of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. Earlier this month, the Bush administration granted U.S. citizens temporary flexibility when re-entering the United States from anywhere in the Western Hemisphere provided the traveler can prove he or she applied for a passport. U.S. citizens are allowed to travel by air with a government issued photo identification and Department of State official proof of application for a passport now through Sept. 30, 2007.

To control access to the proof of application, the locator number alone will no longer allow access to the proof of passport application as was stated when the moratorium was announced. This change was recommended to safeguard customers’ personal information, while allowing them to obtain the data they need to meet documentation requirements for travel to the Western Hemisphere by air.

To obtain the required proof of a pending passport application, travelers must visit http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/status/status_2567.html and provide their last name, date of birth and the last four digits of their social security number to verify their identity.

The Department of State reports that it is currently taking 7-10 days for passport applications to be tracked online and less time if the application was expedited and sent overnight delivery. Travelers are asked to allow at least that long before checking the status of their application.

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NTA Still Concerned about WHTI Land and Sea Implementation Provisions

The Department on Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of State announced last week proposed rules for implementing the land and sea requirements for the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking calls for U.S. and Canadian citizens to have a WHTI-compliant document, typically a passport for most citizens, by Jan. 31, 2008, to re-enter the United States.

Under the current language of the passport mandate, implementation of WHTI land and sea requirements can take effect as early as January 2008 or as late as June 2009. The move to establish June 2009 as the roll-out date is supported by NTA. Similarly, the Senate Appropriations Committee and the full House unanimously voted to delay implementation of WHTI until June 2009. The full Senate must now vote and it is expected to consider the rule’s delay in coming weeks.

"The departments of State and Homeland Security must recognize the magnitude of the problems in implementing WHTI," said NTA Legislative Counsel Jim Santini. "In order for smooth execution of the land and sea requirements of this passport mandate, we must do more to maintain border integrity and facilitate cross-border tourism. We simply need more time for the agencies to be able to comply and to educate the public and those enforcing the rules."

The Land and Sea Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is currently available at http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1182350422171.shtm and will soon be published in the Federal Register. Once published, citizens wishing to comment on the proposed rule may access the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov/ and follow the instructions for submitting comments. Submissions must include the agency name and docket number "USCBP 2007-0004."

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

Input Sought Before NTA Leadership Meets July 13-14

Your 2007 Leadership Team will meet July 13-14 in Lexington, Kentucky. During the two-day meeting, the Leadership Team will meet as a whole as well as break out into individual committee sessions allowing the following groups to meet, the Communication and Education Development Committee, the Convention Committee, the Government Relations Committee, the Membership Development Committee and the Strategic Development Council.

If there is a topic you have for discussion or something you think needs to be brought before the leadership group, now is your chance to make your voice heard. Contact NTA Vice President of Communications Catherine Prather by July 2 by calling 800.682.8886, ext. 4264 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4264 or via e-mail.

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MEMBER BENEFITS

Discover New Packaging Ideas in Alaska

NTA tour operators can discover new tour product in Alaska, Sept. 6-13, during the second Product Development Trip of 2007. Participants can choose between two itineraries and have the option to select a three-day add-on to their trip. Each itinerary is limited to 10 participants and one registrant per company.

The first itinerary begins in Fairbanks and moves to the fantastic Denali National Park. Participants will see Talkeetna, enjoy a Whittier boat cruise and then end in Anchorage for a supplier workshop. The second itinerary starts in Valdez and participants will drive the Glenn Highway in Mat-Su, to Seward for a boat cruise, to Alyeska and then to Anchorage for the supplier workshop. The three-day add-on includes a tour of Haines, Juneau and Sitka.

The deadline to register is July 31. For more information, a preliminary itinerary schedule and registration forms, please visit the NTA Web site.

Questions regarding registration can be directed to NTA Vice President of Marketing Lisa Thompson at 800.682.8886, ext. 4215 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4215 or via e-mail.

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Tourism Cares Gears Up for October Leadership Summit

Tourism Cares, NTA’s official philanthropy, will hold its 7th annual Leadership Summit at the beautiful Fairmont Acapulco Princess in Acapulco, Mexico, Oct. 11-14. This event brings travel buyers and sellers together to network one-on-one in a casual atmosphere of camaraderie, recreation and relationship building.

Top-level executives from both NTA and USTOA, as well as several incentive operator companies, will be in attendance. Hosting them will be Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and the Fairmont Acapulco Princess and various supplier and DMO members of NTA and USTOA.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to build your business and your relationships with tour operators. Please watch the mail for your brochure and for more information contact Natalie King at Tourism Cares by calling 781.821.5990 or via e-mail.

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NTA Members Can Register as VIP Buyers for World Travel Market

NTA tour operator members who register to visit World Travel Market 2007 will receive special VIP buyer status, courtesy of Meridian Club. The VIP status includes the following benefits:

• Free advance registration to World Travel Market 2007
• Fast-track entry into WTM on all four days (including exclusive Meridian Club preview days – Nov. 12-13)
• Special buyer identity to exhibitors
• Exclusive access to the Meridian Club members lounges off the exhibition floor
• Privileged use of the Meridian Club Lounge meeting rooms for one-to-one meetings with exhibitors and peers
• Unlimited networking with exhibitors and peers at Meridian Club’s social networking event M-Bar (held in the Meridian Club Lounge on Monday and Tuesday)

Staged annually in London under one roof, WTM provides a unique opportunity for the whole global travel trade industry to meet, network, negotiate, conduct business and stay abreast with the latest developments in the travel industry. The show, which will be held Nov. 12-15, brings together worldwide buyers and sellers from every sector of the industry. Last year, this global forum included 46,945 travel industry professionals and 5,602 exhibitors representing 202 countries and regions.

For more information contact Stephanie Addington, or to register, visit www.wtmlondon.com/ntamembers.

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Media Request, Partnering Option Among Recent Member Forums Topics

The forums on NTA.travel were created to offer NTA members a platform to pose questions and learn about issues and challenges facing the packaged travel industry. Make it a point to periodically check the forums to see postings, like the two listed below, which allow you to gain free publicity or a new client.

• Media requests – NTA receives calls from writers seeking sources for their stories and these inquiries are often posted on the forums. A recent request came from British travel journalist Peter Ellegard who is seeking information from NTA members in cities and regions associated with specific music genres, along with tour operators that offer music-themed tours to those areas. (Note: Replies to this are needed by the end of the day Thursday, June 28.)

   

• Partnering/Co-Selling Opportunities – Members can post information if they want to buy into another’s package or post tour openings that they’d like to sell. An entry this week included a request from Bob Hoelscher, CTP, who is currently looking for a tour operator that offers a World War II nostalgia tour including Normandy, France, and Berlin, Germany.

Your ID and password are required to access the forums. E-mail your Member Services team with any questions you have regarding the NTA member forums.

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July Courier Preview

The July issue of Courier provides reports on the successful and stimulating Spring Meet in Kelowna, British Columbia, and Tourism Cares’ Virginia City, Nevada, restoration project. North America’s national parks are covered in both a feature story looking at history and adventure encounters and an article exploring voluntourism opportunities. If you haven’t packaged a zoo or an aquarium in a while, check out the feature on them, which unveils new data that shows guests are seeking out contact with nature and guidance on how to preserve it when visiting these attractions. The July Trip Planners provide updates on New England and the coastal regions of California and Baja, and the Travel Guides focus on Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia.

UPCOMING DEADLINES:

October Issue – Annual Convention Issue – Ad Space: July 19; Editorial: Past
Annual Convention Issue; Great Plains (Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming); Central and South America; Connecticut; Maine; Massachusetts; New Hampshire; Rhode Island; Vermont.

November Issue – Ad Space: Aug. 24; Editorial: July 1
Dining; Shopping; Chicago; America’s Historic East (Colonial Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland and Pennsylvania); Delaware; New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Quebec; New Jersey; New York.

December Issue – Ad Space: Sept. 26; Editorial: Aug. 1
2007 Convention Coverage; Artisan and Factory Tours; The Rockies (Alberta, British Columbia, Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Utah); Smoky Mountains (Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge); Alabama; Florida; Louisiana; Mississippi.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Autry National Center – The Berkely Group (TPP) – Beverly Garland’s Holiday Inn/Universal City – Boyds Bear Country – Coach America – Colorado Springs CVB Experience Colorado Springs at Pikes Peak – Foxwoods Resort Casino – John G. Shedd Aquarium – Mashantucket Pequot Museum – Mohegan Sun – Montana Department of Commerce – Pechanga Resort & Casino – Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism – Rapid City CVB – Staples – Turning Stone Casino – West Virginia Division of Tourism – Yankee Candle Company Inc.

More information on the 2007 NTA Editorial Calendar and 2008 NTA Editorial Calendar is available.

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