Tuesday Newsletter

November 20, 2007

Tuesday Newsletter Nov. 20, 2007
Volume 27: Issue 46

	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.
*Interested in becoming a Tuesday* sponsor? E-mail Karla DiNardo at karla.dinardo@ntastaff.com.**

NTA EVENTS
Members Share Thoughts on 2007 Convention

ASSOCIATION NEWS
NTA, TIA and TBR Announce Survey Results
Voting on Bylaw Issues Continues for Tour Operators
NTA Board of Directors Met at Convention

INDUSTRY NEWS
TIA to Absorb TBR and Discover America Partnership

MEMBER BENEFITS
New Orleans is Site of 2008 Tourism Cares for America Project
Tracking Survey Details Posted at NTA Online
February Courier to Feature Casinos, Culinary Tourism and the Atlantic Coast

NTA EVENTS

Members Share Thoughts on 2007 Convention

There was a lot to take in at the 2007 NTA Annual Convention between the debuts of the Buyer-to-Buyer Exchange, the Destination Pavilion and the CTP program; the sharing of NTA’s strategic plan; the announcement of NTA’s partnership with UMA; the presentation of three awards; and the election of the 2008 Board of Directors.

All of these things, along with the typical business and social options, allowed delegates to have a good experience in Kansas City, Missouri. Here are a few reflections from your fellow members who were on hand for the 2007 Convention:

"This was definitely one of the best NTA Conventions that we’ve been to. We saw a lot of great business done on the show floor. It was kind of a laid-back feel this year, while still doing business, which was a nice change over the past few years. It’s always good meeting new people and seeing old faces at NTA." – James Scoon, Wyoming Travel and Tourism (Cheyenne, Wyoming)

"I picked up business just after a few appointments at the Buyer-to-Buyer Exchange. It’s a much better environment to communicate than what we had before." – Paul Larsen, Ed-Ventures (Rochester, Minnesota)

"As an international supplier, reaching tour operators affordably is a challenge. E-mails are just not effective and telephone calls are expensive. I think at some other shows the appointments are just glad-handing, saying hello, but at NTA, I’m doing real business in the appointments." – Renato Gruenenfelder, Fósshotels (Reykjavik, Iceland)

"I’m a first-timer to NTA, and I knew there was an organization I was searching for, and I finally found it. I’m from Kansas, and you were right here in Kansas City, so we got to check it out and it was the best thing we could do … we’re already making plans to go to Pittsburgh. Having access to those group tour operators is just tremendous." – Rick Dykstra, Geary County CVB (Junction City, Kansas)

"I heard nothing but positive vibes from my tour operator colleagues about the Destination Pavilion. The regions came up with some really unique itineraries and ways to market themselves. Everybody enjoyed the informality of the event, in fact, it took me three hours just to get across the room." – Bob Hoelscher, CTP, Flemming Tours (Cedar City, Utah) top of page

ASSOCIATION NEWS

NTA, TIA and TBR Announce Survey Results

In an audio conference on Nov. 19, NTA and industry partners TIA and the Travel Business Roundtable announced the results of voter surveys conducted in South Carolina and Florida. The results show that voters in these states – early primary battlegrounds and important tourism states – are looking for candidates to address travel and tourism issues.

Some of the key findings from the survey, which included 300 Republican and 300 Democrat voters in both Florida and South Carolina (1,200 total people) were:

More than 80 percent of those polled said that travel is important to their life and their family’s life.
Nine out of 10 voters agreed that a significant decline in travel and tourism would be negative for their state’s economy.
More than 60 percent said the 2008 presidential candidates haven’t adequately addressed tourism and travel issues.

Complete results of the survey are available on the NTA Government Relations homepage, where you can see state-specific information, an overall list of key findings and a quick-facts document. Additionally, there is a letter posted which members can personalize and send to the 2008 presidential candidates to urge them to address travel and tourism issues in their campaigns. Your help in getting in touch with the candidates is another way for the industry to come together to get travel and tourism issues on the federal agenda.

If you have questions on the survey, contact NTA Director of Industry and Government Relations Matt Grayson at 800.682.8886, ext. 4250 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4250.

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Voting on Bylaw Issues Continues for Tour Operators

The ballots for the association bylaw amendment were mailed and e-mailed to NTA’s tour operator members in late October, and they are due back by Nov. 30.

The bylaw amendment includes two main proposals, in addition to touching up some wording to improve clarity and grammar. The first proposal would combine the board of director officer positions of secretary and treasurer. The second would officially provide flexibility with regards to the Annual Business Meeting held each year at Convention and allow for one all-member Business Meeting, while still maintaining individual category election and talk times.

Questions regarding the bylaw vote may be directed to NTA Director of Industry and Government Relations Matt Grayson.

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NTA Board of Directors Met at Convention

The NTA Board of Directors gathered in Kansas City, Missouri, before the Annual Convention to discuss a number of topics. A full report from the meeting will be included in next week’s issue of Tuesday.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

TIA to Absorb TBR and Discover America Partnership

In an effort to further solidify its voice with U.S. policymakers, TIA announced that it will absorb the Travel Business Roundtable and the Discover America Partnership. The three organizations will continue to focus on many of the things they have tackled in 2007 – legislative issues, international travel to the U.S. through reform of U.S. visa and entry processes and the creation of a sustainable, nationally coordinated promotion program.

"All three of these organizations have been doing a tremendous job at raising the visibility of travel," said NTA President Lisa Simon, CTP. "NTA has already teamed with TIA and the Discover America Partnership to address the issue of America’s declining image abroad, so we know collaboration is crucial to raising awareness and giving travel and tourism a louder voice in government."

The process of bringing the three together will begin Jan. 1, 2008, with the intent of them becoming a single organization in 2009. Components will include:

TIA will absorb the staff of the Discover America Partnership.

TBR and TIA will jointly create a multi-faceted public affairs program.

TBR and TIA will strengthen their internal government relations capabilities, create an industry-wide grassroots program, establish a public policy research center and enhance their strategic communications.

TBR and TIA will explore a new name for the combined organization, based on all appropriate market research and industry input. top of page

MEMBER BENEFITS

New Orleans is Site of 2008 Tourism Cares for America Project

At the 2007 NTA Annual Convention, Tourism Cares announced that the 2008 Tourism Cares for America project is scheduled for April 17-19, 2008, in New Orleans. Volunteers will be giving much-needed attention to Louis Armstrong Park just outside the French Quarter.

This city, two years after the devastation from Hurricane Katrina, still needs help, and this project will bring tour and travel professionals together to show the people of the Gulf Coast that they have not been forgotten. This 2008 cleanup event will have more industry association sponsors – including NTA, USTOA, ABA, TIA, UMA, SYTA and NBTA – than any of the previous versions.

Please visit the Tourism Cares Web site, where more details will be posted as they become available. Additionally, online registration will begin in December.

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Tracking Survey Details Posted at NTA Online

Those of you who were in Kansas City for Convention heard the update on NTA’s Person-to-Person Tracking Project. While in its first year, the project did not yield some of the state or regional numbers that many had hoped, it did provide some interesting insights on tour operators and how they do business that could be extremely helpful to suppliers and DMOs.

On top of that, NTA was able to perform a Travel Price Index analysis on the 2001 per person/per day numbers from the 2001 Packaged Travel Study that many of you still find extremely beneficial in calculating ROI. That TPI analysis brings that 2001 number more current with costs in 2006 based on the TPI percentage year-over-year changes.

This helpful information is now available at NTA Online. Members can access the Executive Summary, which details the findings mentioned above, and can also view a PowerPoint with graphics that tell the story. Questions on this information can be directed to NTA Vice President of Marketing Lisa Thompson.

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February Courier to Feature Casinos, Culinary Tourism and the Atlantic Coast

The February 2008 issue of Courier offers plenty of opportunity to get your company/destination in front of tour operators.

Feature stories for the month include casinos/gaming and culinary tourism. The trip planners showcase the Atlantic Coast (Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia) and Continental Europe. January travel guides highlight Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan; Idaho; Montana; North Dakota; South Dakota; and Wyoming.

The space deadline for the February issue has been extended to Nov. 30, so there is still plenty of time to get in the magazine ranked No. 1 in the industry by tour operators.

To reach your account executive call 800.682.8886, ext. 4232, or 859.226.4232 or e-mail advertising@ntastaff.com for more information. Click here to view the full 2008 Editorial Calendar.

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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.