Tuesday Newsletter
January 17, 2006
Tuesday Newsletter January 17, 2006
Volume 26, Issue 3
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VisitBritain, the official tourist board for Britain, is dedicated to supporting you in developing new Britain itineraries and offering dynamic marketing campaigns to help promote your product. Visit our new tour operator Web site at http://www.visitbritain.com/vbtrade. |
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Tourism Caring for America – Mississippi Gulf Coast
Tourism Cares for Tomorrow Executive Director Bruce Beckham, CTP, announced that the Mississippi Gulf Coast will be the site of the 2006 Tourism-Caring for America cleanup project. This annual project, which brings together members of the tourism industry for a day of "giving back" to a tourism-related site in need of care and rejuvenation, will be held March 16-19.
"There is no other area in the country that needs our industry’s help like the Mississippi Gulf Coast … it’s literally devastated," Beckham said.
This year’s event has been expanded to include two full days of work at various tourism-related sites that were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The cleanup work will be done in the Gulf Coast towns of Biloxi, Gulfport, Long Beach and D’Iberville, Miss.
"This is the single most important event that could take place in our region this year. The industry’s physical as well as moral support will be incalculable," Steve Richer, executive director of the Mississippi Gulf Coast CVB said.
Details about this year’s project, along with registration information and sponsorship opportunities, are available at Tourism Cares’ Web site. Be sure to respond quickly as space is limited. NTA members will not want to miss this momentous occasion to help your colleagues.
Tour Operators: Join Us for Private Event at Ali Center
NTA delegates will be treated to a private event at the newly completed $75 million Muhammad Ali Center on Friday, March 24, as part of the 2006 NTA Tour Operator Spring Meet in Louisville, Ky. The center, which opened in November 2005, has drawn a well-known cast of admirers including former President Bill Clinton, singer James Taylor and newscasters Bryant Gumbel and Matt Lauer. The 93,000-square-foot educational center is a tribute to Ali’s peaceful legacy and his unparalleled achievements in the boxing ring.
Register today to join us for the 2006 Spring Meet, March 22-25. Save $50 when you sign up before Friday, Jan. 27. Contact your NTA Member Services team at 800.682.8886 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4444 or via e-mail at questions@ntastaff.com.
Spring Meet – It’s all about you!
You can help advance your association’s advocacy efforts by donating an item for the Government Relations Silent Auction, to be held during Spring Meet in Louisville. Proceeds will benefit the association’s Government Issues Fund, and last year the 12 auction items brought in more than $5,500.
The Government Issues Fund helps make your voice heard in Washington D.C. It supports association advocacy efforts, the annual Grassroots Symposium, the legislative tracking service and the Travel Council for Fair Competition, as well as funding NTA’s work on the tour director issue.
To donate a tour package or item, please contact Matt Grayson, NTA’s director of government relations, via e-mail at matt.grayson@ntastaff.com, or by calling 800.682.8886, ext. 4250 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4250.
Benefit Basics: Annual Convention is Limitless
The NTA Annual Convention is the venue to build your tour business. Have you seen the face of the NTA Convention recently?
NTA’s Convention offers the only true "open" floor in the industry where members have unlimited access to buyer delegates. Why limit yourself to around 50 prescheduled appointments – like at other industry shows – when NTA offers the powerful 1-2 punch of getting appointments in advance and onsite via three days of unlimited access to all members on the floor.
The Annual Convention is chock-full of tools to help develop your business. If you have questions related to these or other aspects of Convention, please contact your Member Services team at questions@ntastaff.com.
June Product Development Trip Puts Virginia on Display
Southeastern Virginia’s Catch a Wave committee invites NTA tour operators to participate in a Student & Youth Travel Product Development Trip, June 6-11, 2006. Hospitality professionals from the cities of Hampton, Newport News, Portsmouth, Norfolk and Virginia Beach will host the six-day event.
The trip will include stops at more than 20 local sites ranging from the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, to Nauticus, to The Hampton History Museum and much more. Site inspections and a workshop for tour operators to meet with local suppliers and DMOs also will be offered.
The cost to participate is $100 and does not include transportation to Virginia. Space is reserved for full-time employees of NTA tour operators and only one participant per company may attend. To view a preliminary itinerary, click here, or to register visit the Newport News Web site.
Questions should be directed to Todd Swindell at the Newport News Tourism Development Office at 888.493.7386 or via e-mail at tswindell@nngov.com.
Updates to Recent Tuesday Articles
Here is more recent information on items that appeared in the first two issues of Tuesday this year:
As the avian flu issue continues to pique the interest of the tourism and travel community, here is a list of Web sites to visit for the most accurate information:
NTA also has information posted, which you can view by clicking here.
Accurate Information = Better Business
One of the ways you can help pinpoint NTA-member companies you want to explore business relationships with is by having access to accurate and current information. With that in mind, members need to make sure their company profile stays updated at NTA Online.
Updating your information is easy. Just click on the "Update Your Company Information" link under "What’s New" on the right side of the NTA Online home page. Then enter your ID and password. Call us at 800.682.8886 if you have forgotten your login information or use the convenient e-mail feature to have it e-mailed to you.
Your current company profile will appear on the screen. Click through the screens to confirm that your information is correct, making sure you click submit when you are done.
Get Involved with the AIM Program
NTA’s pioneering Areas of Interest and Marketing (AIM) program brings together industry professionals with similar interests to learn from each other and build relationships, which can directly affect your bottom line. At the upcoming Tour Operator Spring Meet in Louisville, Ky., each of the six AIM categories will have its own meeting. The roundtable discussion sessions will take place from 2-4 p.m. on Thursday, March 23.
While there have been some tweaks to the program recently, like adding a three-member program steering team and advisory teams within each category, the focus of this program is still the same – to help you plug into a smaller community within NTA based on a specific niche of travel.
To get signed up for one or more AIM, contact Christy Stigall, NTA manager of segment marketing, via e-mail at christy.stigall@ntastaff.com. To find out more about the program either read the "Take AIM" article on page 30 of the February issue of Courier or click here.
Reserving your space in our 2006-07 Membership Directory is now even easier. The directory will go out to the entire NTA membership again this year, and you can ensure that your company or destination stands out by reserving an enhanced listing.
Display your four-color logo right above your name in addition to a bold yellow highlight distinguishing your name from your fellow industry partners. More than 600 tour operator companies will see you stand out on the directory pages.
Advertising space also is available from 1/6 page to full page for your four-color or black and white company message. Simply click here for an easy to use form with pricing details that you can fax back to reserve your enhanced listing or advertisement space. The space deadline is March 1.
Call 800.682.8886, ext. 4238 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4238 to talk to your account executive today.