Tuesday Newsletter
November 14, 2006
Tuesday Newsletter November 14, 2006
Volume 26: Issue 45
 |
This issue of Tuesday is sponsored by Tourism Montréal.
Millions of destinations. One city.
|
| Interested in becoming a sponsor for Tuesday? Contact Karla DiNardo at karla.dinardo@NTA.travel. | |
This is the final installment of the series of Tuesday articles by 2006 Convention Chair Barb Bowman of the Grand Junction (Colo.) Visitor and Convention Bureau.
It’s just been a week since we were "On Location" in Salt Lake City for the 2006 NTA Annual Convention. Our time in Salt Lake definitely wowed me, and I was glad to see so many old friends and to get to make many new ones.
The Salt Lake Host Committee went to great lengths to design an incredible stage for NTA and we appreciate their efforts. Salt Lake is a wonderful city that really makes niceness a full-time business, and we sincerely thank everyone for helping display the "Olympic" hospitality that has made Salt Lake such a popular destination.
In addition to the Convention’s strong business component, the Tour & Travel Exchange, the spotlight stayed on the city through the sightseeing tours and the evening events. From the "fastest ice on earth" at the Icebreaker to the beautiful sounds of the Morman Tabernacle Choir at the final night event, it was a special week. Plus, with the snow-capped Wasatch Mountains as our daily backdrop, it was easy to be inspired and have a productive Convention.
I hope you were able to create some special "NTA Magic" at Convention, and I can’t wait to see you in Kansas City next year!
John Shaffer Receives 2006 Bob Everidge Award
At the Saturday Learning Luncheon during the NTA Annual Convention, John Shaffer of Virginia’s Luray Caverns was presented with the 2006 Bob Everidge Lifetime Achievement Award. This award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding, ongoing contributions to the association, its members and the industry overall.
"To be recognized by your peers from within an association that comprises the leaders of our industry is the highest honor I could ever hope to achieve," said Shaffer. "To me, my years of involvement have seemed to be only the natural thing to do and I truly believe I received more than I gave. It is still difficult to realize my name will now be included as a recipient of this revered award."
Shaffer has served in numerous capacities at the local, state and national levels for the tourism industry for nearly three decades. He previously served as director-at-large on the NTA Board of Directors and is a past president of the Shenandoah Valley Travel Association. He also has served on the Travel Industry Association Government Relations Committee and testified for the industry on Capitol Hill.
The NTA Board of Directors established the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003 to honor Everidge, owner and president of Shenandoah Tours Inc., in Staunton, Virginia, for his commitment to the association and the industry. Everidge served as president of the association in 1996 and was an NTA member for 27 years.
Elections Finished, 2007 NTA Board Set
Elections held during the business meetings at NTA’s Annual Convention finalized the association’s board of directors. Here is a list of your volunteer board leaders for 2007:
Executive Committee
Chairman and CEO – Randy Julian, Julian Tours
Vice Chairman – Bob Hoelscher, CTP, Flemming Tours*
Treasurer – Michele Michalewicz, CTP, Western Leisure*
Secretary – Mark Hoffmann, CTP, Sports Leisure Vacations*
Immediate Past Chairman and CEO – Judith Thomas, CTP, Unlimited Tours & Travel
DMO Director – Joan Niemeier, CTP, Tourism Kelowna
Tour Supplier Director – JeanPierre Dansereau, Mohegan Sun
Directors
Nick Calderazzo, RMP Travel*
Marian DiPietro, Tourco
Renee Eichelberger (DMO Director), St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission*
Catherine Greteman, Star Destinations
Sherri Guiborat, Mayflower Tours*
Carol Jordan, Territorial Tours
Carl Prince (Tour Supplier Director), Theatre Direct International*
Jim Warren, Exclusively Canada*
Directors at Large (appointed to a one-year term by Chairman and CEO Julian)
Keith Griffall, CTP, Western Leisure
Scott Hartcorn, Shilo Inns Suites Hotels
Steve Richer, CTP, Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau
* newly elected
NTA Members Sign Petition Opposing GST Elimination
During the Annual Convention your NTA Government and Industry Relations team was busy collecting signatures on a petition that urges the Canadian government to undo the suspension of the Visitor Rebate Program. The effort comes on the heels of the Canadian government’s announcement that it will eliminate the program, which reimburses international travelers for the Canadian Goods and Services Tax and the Harmonized Sales Tax.
More than 100 members signed the petition, and now it will be forwarded to Canada’s Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. Additionally, it was signed by three other allied associations attending the NTA Convention – the American Bus Association, the Pacific Asia Travel Association and the United Motorcoach Association. Comments from members sent to NTA Director of Industry and Government Relations Matt Grayson before Convention also will be passed on to Flaherty.
NTA will be joined by Temple University to revamp its Certified Tour Professional program. The program was introduced in 1985 and the first graduating class was welcomed 20 years ago at the 1986 NTA Annual Convention in Atlanta. Since that time, more than 600 travel professionals have achieved the CTP designation.
The CTP designation was designed to enrich members’ knowledge of the industry and particularly the segment of packaged travel. Today, it is recognized as the measure of quality and dedication to travel and tourism and represents a proactive approach to the future.
"The School of Tourism and Hospitality Management and the National Laboratory for Tourism and eCommerce and Temple University look forward to the opportunity to partner with the National Tour Association to continually improve education and research for the tourism industry," said Temple University’s Dr. Joe Goldblatt, who will be working with NTA to develop the new CTP program by building a curriculum targeted to tours and packaged travel.
Goldblatt said the university plans to conduct focus groups comprised of various NTA member categories and use a trained facilitator to identify the duties and tasks associated with the jobs performed by tour operators, DMOs and tour suppliers. They will then develop courses, curriculum and other support materials to provide the proper training for what NTA members need.
More information will be posted in Tuesday and on "This Just In" at NTA.travel as it becomes available. Contact NTA Vice President of Marketing Lisa Thompson with questions.
Get in Touch With 2007 NTA Chairman and CEO Randy Julian
NTA Chairman and CEO Randy Julian wants to hear from you in the coming year. Whether you have thoughts on ways to improve the association, a question about membership or an idea for the Board of Directors to discuss, Julian wants you to contact him.
Your association has set him up with a cell phone that will be the easiest way for you to get in touch with him. The number is 502.682.6521, and members should feel free to call Julian any time. NOTE – Members outside of the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico will need to dial 001 before the number.
Tour Operators: Spring Meet Web Site Available
The 2007 Tour Operator Spring Meet Web site is now available at http://springmeet.nta.travel/. Kelowna, British Columbia, will host the event, April 26-28. Registration will be available Jan. 8, but you can visit the Web site today to learn what NTA and Kelowna have in store for 2007 Spring Meet attendees.
Some of the event’s highlights include:
- Pre- and Post-Spring Meet Fam tours to acquaint you with this bucolic region
- A world-class Icebreaker event, hosted at Summerhill Winery
- Afternoons for sightseeing tours and complimentary leisure activities
- Professional development and idea sharing with colleagues
For more information about the host city, visit http://www.tourismkelowna.com/. With questions related to the event, contact your NTA Member Services team at questions@NTA.travel.
Cultural Travel Show Launches in January
NTA members are invited to attend, as hosted buyers, the world’s first travel trade show on cultural travel, CULTOUR, to be held alternatively in Europe and the United States. The first edition of CULTOUR will be held Jan. 25-26, 2007, in historic Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
The invitation includes pre-selected appointments with worldwide travel and tourism suppliers, the hotel nights, ground transportation, cultural shows and events, luncheons, dinners and short post-event Fam tours.
For further details, go to http://www.cultourfair.com/ or contact NTA Vice President of Marketing Lisa Thompson with questions.
Tourism Cares Student Programs Make a Difference
More than 60 NTA delegates participated in the Tourism Cares "Experience the Industry" Student Program during the NTA Annual Convention. Tour operators, DMOs and tour suppliers stepped up to share their industry knowledge and excitement with 27 tourism and hospitality students, including 13 scholarship recipients and 14 students from local universities.
Here’s what some of the students had to say about their week at NTA:
- "Tourism Cares, through the companies that support it, has provided me not only with generous financial support, but also with opportunities to gain practical industry knowledge and to network with future employers. That is priceless!" – Julia Adam, scholarship recipient from New York University
- "Tourism Cares is truly about giving. My experience has been most educational. Before, I had a direction I wanted to go after graduation. Now I have a path to get me there." – Hayley Laidlaw of Brigham Young University
- "I would recommend to any student to go to a convention like this if given the chance, and to make the most of it. It is an invaluable experience that will help with any career path." – Gregory Gotch, scholarship recipient from Sinclair Community College (Dayton, Ohio)
Tourism Cares would like to thank the many mentors who made this experience possible for these future leaders of our industry.
February Courier Offers Variety of Opportunities
The 2007 February issue of Courier promises to inform and entertain and advertising space is still available. It includes feature stories on casinos/gaming and ecotourism. This is the first time a major feature story on ecotourism has been done in Courier, so take advantage of this premiere editorial piece.
The trip planners will cover the Atlantic Coast (Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia) and Continental Europe and the Travel Guides will feature Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, as well as Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.
Your account executive can discuss pricing options and also help you take advantage of multiple buy plans. Package your Courier advertisement with a placement in our Annual Membership Directory, Convention Daily newsletter, NTA.travel or Profile Form Notebook for great savings. Click here to view the full 2007 Editorial Calendar or call 800.682.8886, ext. 4232 or 859.226.4232 or e-mail advertising@NTA.travel for more information.