Tuesday Newsletter
October 23, 2007
Tuesday Newsletter Oct. 23, 2007
Volume 27: Issue 43
 |
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
Last-minute Convention Reminders
Keep Checking Your Direct Requests for Exchange Appointments
Convention Prep Web Seminar for Tour Operators is Thursday
Missouri Breakfast in Bed Marks 25th Anniversary at Convention
Learn Ways to Save by Visiting Corporate Partner Booths in Kansas City
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Bylaw Ballot Coming to Tour Operators Soon
Options for Those Currently Enrolled in NTA’s CTP Program
MEMBER BENEFITS
GE Money Becomes an NTA Corporate Partner
Tourism Cares Announces Fall Grant Recipients
January Courier Featuring Alaska, British Columbia, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon and Washington
NTA EVENTS
Last-minute Convention Reminders
With the 2007 NTA Annual Convention kicking off Friday, Nov. 2, here are just a few reminders as you finalize preparations for Kansas City, Missouri:
- According to http://www.weather.com/, high temperatures for Kansas City in October tend to be in the mid 50s (Fahrenheit) to low 60s. Be sure to pack warm clothing as the temperatures may drop to the 40s in the evenings.
- The overall dress for Convention is business attire, however Friday is casual. Casual clothes and comfortable shoes also are appropriate for the pre-Fam, post-Fam and sightseeing tours, as well as all evening events except for Final Night (which is formal or semi-formal).
- Airport shuttle service will be available to and from each of the official Convention hotels. If you are scheduled to depart before Wednesday, Nov. 7, please visit the Kansas City Information Center on the Convention Mall floor to make alternate transportation arrangements. Shuttles are available on these days and times – Thursday, Nov. 1, 9 a.m.-11 p.m.; Friday, Nov. 2, 9 a.m.-11 p.m.; and Wednesday, Nov. 7, 5:30 a.m.-Noon – and they depart from the hotels on the hour and half hour.
- Bring your camera and take some snapshots of all the fun you’re having at Convention. Then take your images to the PhotoVision booth (#147), where they will be uploaded and possibly used for the Week in Review video.
- Pack plenty of business cards.
If you have any questions regarding Convention, contact your Member Services team at 800.682.8886 8886 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4444.
Keep Checking Your Direct Requests for Exchange Appointments
One of the many features of the NTA Appointment Scheduling System is the Direct Request manual scheduling feature. This part of the online appointment request system gives you the option to secure additional Tour & Travel Exchange appointments for Convention.
All attendees should check the Appointment Scheduling System regularly to monitor their requests. To log on and review your requests, you will need to enter your first and last name and Convention registration number.
Through NTA’s advanced online scheduling system you may send a Direct Request to another delegate to request an appointment during an open time in your schedule. Also, you can use the system to enter your personal e-mail address to receive an e-mail each time someone requests an appointment with you, or when a request you have made is accepted or declined. The e-mail also will contain links so you can quickly view submitted requests.
If you have any questions about how Direct Request works, please contact your Member Services Team by calling 800.682.8886 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4444.
Convention Prep Web Seminar for Tour Operators is Thursday
NTA will be hosting a Web seminar Thursday, Oct. 25, at 2:30 p.m. ET for all tour operators who will be attending the 2007 Annual Convention.
The session will give operators a chance to hear firsthand what is in store for them in Kansas City, Missouri, and provide information to make sure everyone is ready to do business at Convention. NTA Convention Chair Bob Hofmann will talk about some of the new features and enhancements for this year’s Convention, including the Buyer-to-Buyer Exchange and the Destination Pavilion.
Any tour operator that is registered for Convention can participate in the session. If you want to take part in the Web seminar, please e-mail NTA Director of Marketing Lisa Thompson who can provide you with the log in information.
Missouri Breakfast in Bed Marks 25th Anniversary at Convention
All Convention delegates can be greeted Monday, Nov. 5, with breakfast in bed in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Missouri Division of Tourism sponsoring this Convention favorite. The Missouri Division of Tourism’s Breakfast in Bed effort has been a fun undertaking since making its debut at the 1983 Convention in Houston, according to Bob Smith, the organization’s deputy director.
"We were begging, borrowing and stealing to coordinate that first breakfast," said Smith. "The tourism office realized that the Houston hotels didn’t have enough trays to coordinate the deliveries at once, so they borrowed trays from the U.S. Army Base in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and took them to Houston for Breakfast in Bed."
The program has continued to evolve since those humble beginnings, and Smith said it takes up to 130 state volunteers to help pull it off each year. He also noted that the Missouri delegation is happy to be hosting this year’s Convention, a fact that has allowed the division of tourism to include all members this year instead of just tour operators.
"It would never be possible without the tremendous support of Missouri’s tourism industry, and it wouldn’t have continued this long without the acceptance of the tourism and travel industry at NTA."
If you want to have the Missouri members bring you breakfast on Monday, you need to sign up by Sunday, Nov. 4, at 2 p.m. at the Missouri Division of Tourism’s booth (#303) on the Convention Mall floor.
Learn Ways to Save by Visiting Corporate Partner Booths in Kansas City
While buying and selling packaged travel may be your focus during Convention, don’t forget to stop by the Corporate Partner booths to learn how your company can save big bucks through NTA’s Official Corporate Partners. Be sure to visit the booths of these four partners to learn more about NTA-endorsed programs:
Just look for the big sign above the Corporate Partner booths to find your way to immediate savings through exclusive NTA programs.
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Bylaw Ballot Coming to Tour Operators Soon
In its September Board meeting, the NTA Board of Directors discussed several issues that have bylaw implications. A ballot with complete background and details will be going out to the tour operators later this week with a voting cutoff date of Nov. 30. This vote is being conducted at this time to allow for discussion at the upcoming Annual Convention.
The bylaw amendment proposes to:
- Combine the officer positions of Secretary and Treasurer into one Secretary/Treasurer position
- Create flexibility with regards to the Annual Business Meeting held each year at Convention and allow for one all-member Business Meeting with individual category election and talk times
- Clarify the status of electronic voting on all association-related matters
Electronic ballots will be sent out to all tour operator members, while paper ballots will be sent to those for whom NTA does not have a valid e-mail address or the ballot is not deliverable electronically. Questions regarding the bylaw vote may be directed to NTA’s Director of Industry and Government Relations Matt Grayson at 800.682.8886, ext. 4250 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4250.
Options for Those Currently Enrolled in NTA’s CTP Program
At the 2006 Annual Convention, NTA announced its alliance with Temple University and its School of Tourism and Hospitality Management to redesign the CTP program. This partnership with one of the nation’s top universities has blossomed, and as it debuts in Kansas City, Missouri, will offer NTA members a new, dynamic program.
Members who are already enrolled in the CTP program have asked questions regarding what their options are, and here are the choices:
- You can finalize all necessary steps to complete the CTP program as it currently stands and graduate in 2007. Current enrollees would have until Dec. 31, 2007, to complete the curriculum in its current form.
- If you would like to move into the new Temple program, you will receive the necessary information and study guides in January 2008 and will be invoiced a rollover fee of $75. There would be no other fees associated with the program and, upon payment, you will be enrolled in the new CTP program with Temple.
- Discontinue your efforts toward a certification.
The new program will be piloted at the 2007 NTA Convention, starting with an educational session outlining the changes Friday, Nov. 2. Four other seminars for which you can earn credits for the new program will take place on Saturday and Sunday in Kansas City.
For more information on either the new or existing CTP program, or if you would like an update on your CTP status, please contact NTA Marketing and Communications Administrative Assistant Andrea Richardson.
MEMBER BENEFITS
GE Money Becomes an NTA Corporate Partner
NTA is welcoming GE Money as an official association corporate partner, after the two groups worked together on a pilot program over the past year. Both GE Money and NTA are pleased to announce a five-year extension of the GE Money Travel Finance Program, which is available to the association’s tour operator companies located within the United States.
Through GE Money, NTA tour operators can offer their customers deferred interest credit options and extended payment financing on one-time trips or ongoing travel, so travelers can purchase the trip of their dreams now. The promotional credit option is already fairly common in other retail markets, like furniture and large appliances; however, it is very new to travel. NTA tour operators can receive point-of-sale and other marketing materials and equipment, as well as training on how to effectively use the finance program.
Through the program, NTA tour operators can:
"During the first year, when several tour operators piloted the program, it enabled our tour operators to offer a greater choice of payment options and customers to take the trips of their dreams today," said NTA Chairman and CEO Randy Julian. "The card is a great option for people to upgrade their travel plans, track expenses and manage their budget with low monthly payments."
GE Money allows participants to make instant credit decisions and receive creative marketing and promotions. To learn more about this convenient credit alternative for consumers, visit the GE Money page at NTA Online. And, if you will be at Convention, stop by the GE Money booth.
Tourism Cares Announces Fall Grant Recipients
Tourism Cares awarded $70,000 in grants to seven nonprofit organizations as part of its Worldwide Grant Program for the fall of 2007. Each grantee has matching funds, which help bring the total for support to $140,000.
"These grants will assist in the preservation of these historical and natural wonders for future generations to learn from and enjoy," said Bruce Beckham, CTP, executive director of Tourism Cares.
The projects represent a balance of brick-and-mortar and educational programs, and three of them involve Native American culture and heritage. Here is the list of recipients and projects:
- American West Heritage Foundation, Wellsville, Utah – Bear River Massacre Site Permanent Educational Exhibit Development Project
- Chimney Rock Interpretive Association Inc., Pagosa Springs, Colorado – A Project for Emergency Stabilization of Chimney Rock Pueblo
- Dubuque County Historical Society, Dubuque, Iowa – Project to Restore the National Landmark Steamboat William M. Black at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
- Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival Inc., Becket, Massachusetts – Project to Repair the Ted Shawn Theatre Foundation
- Mystic Seaport Museum Inc., Mystic, Connecticut – Project to Create Interpretive Exhibition of the Restoration of the Whaling Ship Charles W. Morgan and to Train Interpreters
- Newport Historical Society, Newport, New Hampshire – Project to Restore Pier Bridge and Wright’s Bridge
- Sipaulovi Development Corporation, a nonprofit organization of Hopi Sipaulovi Village, Arizona – Sipaulovi Village Conservation and Tourism Education Project
January Courier Featuring Alaska, British Columbia, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon and Washington
The January 2008 issue of Courier offers plenty of ways to get your company/destination in front of tour operators. Features included in the January edition cover the 2008 Tour Operator Spring Meet Preview, Sightseeing Cruises and Cruise Ships. Travel Guides highlight Alaska, British Columbia, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon and Washington and the month’s Trip Planners showcase the Antebellum South (Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee) and the British Isles and Ireland.
The space deadline for the January Courier is Oct. 29, so you still have time to get in the magazine ranked No. 1 in the industry by tour operators. Plus, if you book by that date, you will lock in 2007 rate protection for your advertisement.
Click here to see the full 2008 Editorial Calendar. To reach your account executive, call 800.682.8886, ext. 4232 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4232 or e-mail advertising@ntastaff.com for more information.
| 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. |