Tuesday Newsletter
November 27, 2007
Tuesday Newsletter Nov. 27, 2007
Volume 27: Issue 47
This issue of Tuesday is sponsored by Tourisme Montréal. North American life and European charm, a dynamic cultural scene and vibrant festivals where creativity never fails. Our goal is to help you in organizing events and tour packages. For a sweet escape, Montréal is an absolute must. It is an experience to live and share. |
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Interested in becoming a Tuesday sponsor? E-mail Karla DiNardo at karla.dinardo@ntastaff.com. |
NTA EVENTS
Convention by the Numbers
ASSOCIATION NEWS
November Board of Directors Meeting Recap
Remembering Gordon Bell
Nominations Sought for 2008 Pioneer Award
Send Your Updated Photo CDs for Courier
INDUSTRY NEWS
Stagehands Continue Broadway Strike
NTA Members Earn TIAC Awards
MEMBER BENEFITS
Tourism Cares – Making a Difference in 2007
Four Days Remain to Reach 24,500 Student Travel Planners through NTA
December Courier Preview
NTA EVENTS
There were plenty of exciting components to the 2007 NTA Annual Convention ranging from the Destination Pavilion and the Icebreaker at Union Station to Joel Zeff’s Super Session and the Missouri Department of Tourism’s Breakfast in Bed. And speaking of Breakfast in Bed, did you know that approximately 1,300 meals were served as part of the 25th anniversary of this Convention tradition?
Here are some other fun numbers from this year’s Convention:
1 – couple that got engaged during the event
4 – members who received their CTP certification
23 – NTA past presidents and chairmen in attendance
24 – countries represented, including Uganda, the first African nation with a delegate at Convention
242 – hours put in by NTA volunteers at Convention
320 – first-time delegates in Kansas City
1,200 – Mardi Gras beads passed out during the Tuesday luncheon
2,326 – appointments during the Buyer-to-Buyer Exchange
6,304 – lunches and dinners served at meal functions
88,000 – Jelly Belly jelly beans given away by the California Travel & Tourism Commission
250,000 – dollars spent by Transportation Charter Services’ Ray Gilligan on the motorcoach at the Tourism Cares Live Auction
Also, it is 354 days until the 2008 NTA Annual Convention opens in Pittsburgh (Nov. 15-19), so mark your calendars now.
ASSOCIATION NEWS
November Board of Directors Meeting Recap
The NTA Board of Directors met in Kansas City, Missouri, prior to the 2007 Annual Convention. The board finalized the 2008 NTA budget and approved the strategic plan, which was presented to Convention delegates during the Business Meeting Luncheon. Click here for other highlights from the meeting.
Gordon Bell, founder and builder of Three Valley Gap Resort, passed away Nov. 17, shortly after returning from the 2007 NTA Annual Convention. Bell was 74.
Bell was a friend to NTA and his gentle enthusiasm and eternally optimistic approach to life will be greatly missed. He and his wife Ethel attended NTA events for several decades helping spread the word about Three Valley Gap Resort, which is located west of Revelstoke, British Columbia. In addition to its 200 rooms, the property also includes a Ghost Town of authentic heritage buildings that Bell, an avid collector, salvaged from dying communities around British Columbia.
A memorial service was held Nov. 23. Expressions of sympathy may be sent to Ethel Bell and family at Three Valley Gap, Box 860, Revelstoke, BC V0E 2S0, Canada. Contributions in Gordon’s name should be forwarded to the Revelstoke Community Foundation, Box 2398, Revelstoke, BC V0E 2S0, Canada.
Nominations Sought for 2008 Pioneer Award
NTA members are encouraged to send nominations for the Pioneer Award, which honors individuals whose accomplishments have resulted in a significant change in the travel industry from which NTA and its members (specifically tour operators) have benefited.
The NTA Board of Directors established the award in 2005 and presented the inaugural award in 2006 to Charles "Chuck" West (posthumously) and in 2007 to Earl Harmon, also posthumously.
Any person employed by an NTA member company is eligible to submit a nomination which, at minimum, should include a brief description (approximately 250 words) of the nominee’s accomplishments. Additional information or material may be included with the narrative.
Nominations for the award, which will be presented at the Tour Operator Spring Meet in April 2008, should be submitted to NTA Executive Assistant Celeste Moore by Dec. 19. The Spring Meet will be held April 2-4 at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Send Your Updated Photo CDs for Courier
The Courier editorial staff is seeking the latest versions of photo CDs from members who haven’t sent in updated images in the past nine months. Even though many DMOs and tour suppliers have photo galleries on their Web sites, some images are not high resolution/print quality due to Web site size restrictions, and it is better to burn the larger images to a CD and mail them.
Tour operators also are encouraged to send in print-quality photos of their clients on tour, especially images showing travelers taking part in hands-on activities, educational workshops, hard and soft adventure or touring an exhibit or attraction.
Photo CDs should be mailed to:
Doug Rentz, Managing Editor
Courier magazine
National Tour Association
546 East Main Street
Lexington, KY 40508
If you have any questions, please contact Courier Managing Editor Doug Rentz at 800.682.8886, ext. 4235 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4235.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Stagehands Continue Broadway Strike
Many Broadway stages have been dark for more than two weeks as a result of a strike by stagehands. Negotiations between Local 1, the stagehands’ union, and the League of American Theatres and Producers have halted with no deal to end the labor dispute.
"Broadway shows are an important part of the tour product," said NTA Chairman and CEO Bob Hoelscher, CTP. "As NTA monitors the situation, we encourage our members – the tour operators, hotels, restaurants and all involved – to work together and do whatever they can to make the best of what is a very tough situation."
Four NTA members were among the 13 organizations and individuals from across Canada that received the 2007 TIAC National Awards for Tourism Excellence. The awards, presented by The Globe and Mail in recognition of outstanding contributions to the Canadian tourism sector, were handed out earlier this month during Canada’s Tourism Leadership Summit in Victoria, British Columbia.
Congratulations go to all the winners, including four NTA members that were recognized in the following categories:
- CN Tower – Business of the Year (Single Unit)
- Parks Canada Agency – Business of the Year (Multiple Unit)
- Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage – Innovator of the Year
- Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation – Marketing Campaign of the Year
More information on the 2007 awards can be found on TIAC’s Web site.
MEMBER BENEFITS
Tourism Cares – Making a Difference in 2007
NTA’s official philanthropy, Tourism Cares, is responsible for helping preserve the experience of travel for future generations. In 2007, Tourism Cares did just that by awarding scholarships and grants to deserving recipients.
Close to $50,000 in scholarships were provided to dozens of students studying travel, tourism and hospitality in colleges and universities in the United States and Canada this year. These students represent the future of the industry, and Tourism Cares is proud to help them achieve success and set them on a path toward a career in travel and tourism.
In addition, Tourism Cares awarded nearly $300,000 through its Worldwide Grants and Special Grants programs to organizations around the globe, including Angkor Wat Heritage Park in Cambodia, The Mark Twain Home Foundation in Missouri and the American West Heritage Foundation in Utah.
As 2008 approaches, you are encouraged to take a moment to reflect on all that you have helped Tourism Cares accomplish this year and plan how you can pitch in next year.
Four Days Remain to Reach 24,500 Student Travel Planners through NTA
Tapping into the student travel market has never been so easy. Now you can reach 24,500 student travel planners through NTA’s only officially endorsed publication for the student market, The Trip Planner for student travel. This magazine will be sent in February 2008 to a large group of student travel planners, as well as distributed with the February issue of Courier magazine to 1,400 NTA tour operators.
Listings in The Trip Planner for student travel are available to tour operators for only $250, and suppliers and DMOs can take advantage of display advertising options. The space deadline has been extended to Dec. 1 due to the popularity of this publication, so there are only four days remaining to book your ad or logo listing in this NTA-endorsed student publication.
For more information, click here or call 800.682.8886, ext, 4232 (U.S. and Canada), or 859.226.4232.
The Courier staff quickly compiled articles and photos following the NTA Annual Convention so that the December edition of Courier could include more timely coverage. The Convention recap section of the upcoming issue features information on the debut of the Buyer-to-Buyer Exchange and Destination Pavilion, educational seminars, the three awards presented by NTA and the great social events. In addition to the Convention pieces, don’t miss stories on factory and artisan tours, the Rockies, the Smoky Mountains and the southern states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.
UPCOMING DEADLINES:
March Issue – Ad Space: Jan. 3; Editorial: Past
2008 Tour Operator Spring Meet; Hotels and Resorts; Toronto and Niagara Region (New York and Canada); Branson; Arizona; Colorado; New Mexico; Utah.
April Issue – Ad Space: Jan. 28; Editorial: Dec. 3
Historic Homes; Wine Tours; New York City; Great Lakes Loop (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Ontario and Wisconsin); Arkansas; Mexico; Oklahoma; Texas.
May Issue – Ad Space: Feb. 25; Editorial: March 10
Preview to Convention; Beaches; Canyonlands (Colorado, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Sedona and Utah); Asia; Iowa; Kansas; Missouri; Nebraska; Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Algoma Central Railway Inc. – Anderson Vacations – Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism – Autry National Center – The Berkely Group (TPP) – Beverly Garland’s Holiday Inn/Universal City – Greater Birmingham CVB – Capital One Merchant Services – Coach America – Colorado Springs CVB Experience Colorado Springs at Pikes Peak – Detroit Metro CVB – Dollywood – Empire State Building Observatory – Historic Temple Square LDS Church – ITS Design & Printing – Menopause the Musical – New Orleans Metropolitan CVB – Norfolk CVB – Pala Casino Spa and Resort – Pensacola, FL Convention & Visitor Information Center – Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism – Pirate’s Dinner Adventure – Rapid City CVB – Salt Lake CVB – Southwest Louisiana/Lake Charles CVB – Staples – Travel Montana
Click here to view the 2008 NTA Editorial Calendar.
To ensure that you’re doing business with an NTA member, go to the NTA Web site and click on either "Tour Operator Search" or "DMO/Tour Supplier Search" at the top of the page. |