Tuesday Newsletter
July 24, 2007
Tuesday Newsletter July 24, 2007
Volume 27: Issue 30
 |
This issue of Tuesday is sponsored by VisitBritain. For everything you need to know about developing tours to Britain, and to find out about all the British partners who will be joining us at the NTA Convention this year, go to www.visitbritain.com/operators. See you there!. |
| Interested in becoming a Tuesday sponsor? E-mail Karla DiNardo at karla.dinardo@NTA.travel. | |
NTA EVENTS
"We’ll Do It for You" Applies to Appointment Scheduling Research, Too
New York City Road Show Packed ’em In
Tips for Creating Your Convention Profile Form
Convention Icebreaker Set for Union Station
Reach Convention Delegates through the Convention Daily Newsletter
ASSOCIATION NEWS
NTA Leadership Team Brings Forth Membership Resolution
July Board of Directors Meeting Update
Out and About with Your NTA Leaders
NTA Facilitates Industry Meeting on Theater Issues
INDUSTRY NEWS
Wildfires Close Backcountry Spots at Zion National Park
MEMBER BENEFITS
Take a Few Minutes, Discover a New Market
Tourism Cares Leadership Summit Set for Acapulco
NTA EVENTS
"We’ll Do It for You" Applies to Appointment Scheduling Research, Too
NTA can help you do the research before you make your Tour & Travel Exchange appointment requests as part of its "We’ll Do It for You" initiative. If you would like some assistance as you begin creating your request list for Convention, contact your Member Services Team via e-mail at questions@NTA.travel for a customized lead list.
The list can be generated to narrow the focus to tour operators who bring groups to your region and will include up-to-date company profile information on them. Likewise, regional lists of DMO and tour supplier partners are available to help tour operators with their research.
The appointment scheduling system for the 2007 NTA Annual Convention in Kansas City, Missouri, launched last Wednesday, July 18, so you can begin making your list now. All delegates participating in the Tour & Travel Exchange at this year’s Convention – to be held Nov. 2-6 – are encouraged to log on and make appointment requests by Oct. 5.
New York City Road Show Packed ’em In
Nearly 85 travel professionals were on hand last week at the NTA Road Show in New York City. The audience included a mix of prospective members and existing members, including international DMOs with offices in New York.
In the session, attendees heard a comprehensive update on NTA, in general, and on its government relations efforts. One of the main topics of discussion was the enhancements to the 2007 Annual Convention, including the Destination Pavilion and Buyer-to-Buyer Exchange.
"The Road Show gave me a perspective on the future of NTA and what NTA is doing," said Nixon Patterson, account executive for group sales for Madison Square Garden/Radio City Music Hall Group Sales. "Members depend on NTA to be a leader in the industry and to work on our behalf. The fact that NTA listens through things like this and will respond helps my business. Kudos to NTA for having the Road Shows."
Special thanks to the event sponsors, Madame Tussauds New York and Theatre Direct/Showtix.
Tips for Creating Your Convention Profile Form
During the NTA Annual Convention, the Profile Form is one of the most valuable tools tour suppliers and DMOs have to market their company’s offerings to tour operators. Since the profile form and business cards are the two materials that can be distributed during Tour & Travel Exchange appointments, the information on the profile form is extremely important.
Profile forms must be typewritten and formatted on an 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper, and both the front and back sides may be used to communicate your message. A sample profile form and guidelines are available on the Convention Web site.
If you have questions, please contact your Member Services Team at 800.682.8886 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4444.
Convention Icebreaker Set for Union Station
Get a glimpse of history at the nation’s third-largest passenger station, Kansas City, Missouri’s Union Station, during the Icebreaker at the 2007 NTA Convention. Union Station, which opened in 1914, is now home to a science museum, the KC Rail Experience, restaurants, shops, a planetarium, movie and performance theaters and some of the nation’s best traveling exhibits.
Participants at Saturday night’s Icebreaker will have the chance to show off their moves at the "USO Club" with big-band music, listen to the jazz of the ’20s and ’40s, sample regional food at a variety of food stations, capture photographs with locals such as Jesse James, President Harry S. Truman and Pony Express riders as well as design and wear their own die-cut eyeglasses.
"The reception will be a memorable evening for attendees in this historic venue," said Emilie Jester, Kansas City steering committee chair for the 2007 Convention.
To experience the Icebreaker and all other events at the 2007 NTA Convention, register now.
Reach Convention Delegates through the Convention Daily Newsletter
Although NTA’s Annual Convention is still a few months away, don’t wait to secure your exposure and presence at this key industry event by advertising in Convention Daily. Your message will wind up in the hands of thousands of event delegates, as this four-color newsletter is given to every attendee as they hit the Convention Mall floor each morning and delivered to every tour operator booth.
"The Convention Daily newsletter is the first thing I look for in the mornings at Convention," said Betty Jo Cardona of Colorado Springs CVB Experience Colorado Springs at PikesPeak. "It’s always fun to read the first issue and get all geared up for the exciting days ahead."
Three- or five-day packages for advertising allow you to display up to five different messages throughout the Convention. Use this valuable space to promote something special, like a giveaway, or to draw attention to your booth.
To reach your NTA account executive call 800.682.8886, ext. 4232, or 859.226.4232 or e-mail advertising@NTA.travel for more information.
ASSOCIATION NEWS
NTA Leadership Team Brings Forth Membership Resolution
For its July meeting, the NTA Leadership Team and Board of Directors spent a day discussing the future of the association and ways to enhance member value and improve members’ bottom lines through association initiatives. In the end, the Leadership Team penned a resolution recommending that the board consider a single membership structure and conduct thorough research and involve members in the conversation to identify the benefits and risks of such a structure.
The Leadership Team also recommended to the board that NTA examine other entities for membership to reflect the changing marketplace, as well as explore ways to involve additional groups, including group leaders and consumers, in ways other than membership.
What does this mean? In recognizing the potential for growth in the ever-changing travel environment and recognizing that buyers and sellers have a partnership role in NTA, the board and Leadership Team forecast that a single membership structure, which expands to include other potential members, would mean more business for all members and growth for NTA.
"It was a very good meeting and a carefully deliberated resolution that the Leadership Team recommended to the board," said NTA Chairman and CEO Randy Julian. "To me, I think the most important message, at this time, is that we will be seeking member input and a tour operator bylaw vote to approve it, so this is not a done deal. We have a great deal of work to do to carefully examine all the implications – the benefits and the risks – of the Leadership Team’s resolution." (See Board Update for board response to the resolution.)
Julian said a plan will be developed to gather information in the industry and from members, and full discussions will occur at the 2007 Annual Convention during the new all-member business meeting luncheon. These discussions will continue during each member category’s Election and Talk Time (formerly the annual business meetings).
"We need a strong strategic direction to guide us for years to come," said NTA Vice Chairman Bob Hoelscher, CTP. "What the team has recommended is in sync to drive more business to our members, which in the end, only strengthens the association."
As a part of the resolution, the Leadership Team adopted guiding principles including that members must be involved in the process, that the primary focus of the association will continue to be the buying and selling of packaged travel and that the value of current membership will not be diminished.
To prepare for their discussion, the leadership – the elected board plus a 40-person team representing a cross-section of tour operators, tour suppliers and DMOs from U.S., Canadian and international members – viewed extensive member research detailing member preferences and needs, and they had access to industry trend reports and an analysis of the current environment and its implications for the future. The group distilled this information to several key points that helped drive their ultimate recommendation to the board:
- Technology offers new opportunities and creates a new customer type
- Geopolitical situations influence business opportunities
- NTA’s relevance in the overall travel industry has changed
- NTA recognizes potential for growth in the ever-changing travel environment
- All buyers and sellers have a similar stake in NTA
July Board of Directors Meeting Update
Following the Leadership Team discussion, the NTA Board of Directors met July 14 and 15 in Lexington, Kentucky. The board discussed the resolution recommended by the Leadership Team, as well as the association’s long-term goal of the creation of a Secretary of Tourism within the U.S. Federal Government. Additional highlights from the meeting are posted at NTA.travel.
Out and About with Your NTA Leaders
Your NTA Leadership is actively working for you and that often means hitting the road. Here is a rundown of just some of the activities your association leaders have been up to the last few weeks.
- The NTA Board of Directors and Leadership Team convened in Lexington, Kentucky, July 13-15. The 60-member group took a critical look NTA’s future direction and at ways to bring more business to members. A recap of the board’s action is available at http://www.nta.travel/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=30&url_subchannel_id=&url_article_id=3509&change_well_id=2.
- NTA Vice Chairman Bob Hoelscher, CTP, spoke at the Explore Minnesota Tourism Group and Packaged Travel Meeting at the Mall of America and at the New Ulm CVB Business Meeting, July 17-18. Among the topics covered in his presentation were tips for suppliers and destinations working with tour operators and NTA’s tracking initiative. Hoelscher then traveled directly to Denver for the Colorado Pre-Caucus where he spoke about the enhancements to the Annual Convention.
- Several NTA leaders and staff were in New York City July 19 for a meeting with New York theaters and the fifth NTA Road Show. The theater meeting included NTA Chairman and CEO Randy Julian, Government and Industry Relations Director Matt Grayson and several NTA tour operators representing five states. More information on this is included in the next article of this newsletter.
- Finally, the New York City Road Show was a great success. NTA tour operators, tour suppliers and DMOs were joined by prospective members, including representatives from New York City area travel businesses and from international destinations such as Cyprus, Finland, Austria and the Czech Republic.
NTA Facilitates Industry Meeting on Theater Issues
On July 19, a diverse group of tour operators, theater owners, producers and ticket agencies met to discuss issues related to group visitation on Broadway.
Participants in the two-hour meeting talked about group seating issues, ticket purchases and refunds and motorcoach drop off and parking issues in a wide-ranging discussion. NTA facilitated this session in response to tour operator concern that Broadway policies and procedures were impairing their ability to sell group theater product.
"This meeting is an example of NTA serving as a bridge-builder on behalf of the packaged travel industry," said NTA Chairman and CEO Randy Julian. "The spirit of cooperation in the meeting was exciting to witness and I feel that participants left with a better understanding of all the issues surrounding group theater travel. It was indeed a win-win for everyone involved."
NTA will keep you posted through "This Just In" and in Tuesday when updates on next steps or future meetings are announced.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Wildfires Close Backcountry Spots at Zion National Park
Due to the fire activity in southwestern Utah’s Zion National Park this week, all backcountry trails and canyons are closed until further notice. No permits are being issued at this time for backcountry or canyoneering use. Frontcountry trails in Zion Canyon and all roads in the park are open, and the fires have not affected any of the lodging or service centers, where it is business as usual.
For updated information, including a detailed map of the backcountry areas that are closed, go to http://www.nps.gov/zion/naturescience/dakota-hills-fire-complex.htm or call David Eaker at 435.772.7811.
MEMBER BENEFITS
Take a Few Minutes, Discover a New Market
Hey tour operators, looking for a no-cost way to explore emerging overseas markets and generate new sales? The U.S. Commercial Service of the Department of Commerce, in cooperation with National Association of Manufacturers, has produced a series of video market briefs to introduce profitable new destinations to small- and medium-sized businesses.
The Commercial Service Web site features archived videos on marketing overseas. Videos have been produced on Hong Kong and China’s Pearl River Delta, Israel, Russia, South Africa, China, Chile and Singapore. The Commercial Service Web site also contains Webinars, including one on "Selling Overseas 101: Strategic Exporting," which can be accessed for free on that Web page.
The U.S. Commercial Service offers help with four additional ways to grow your international sales through its world-class market research, promotion at trade events that can share your product or service with qualified buyers, introductions to qualified buyers and distributors and counseling through every step of the export process.
In an effort to assist firms in the travel and tourism industry with increasing their international business, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Travel & Tourism Team has created a new Web site, Travel & Tourism e-Market Express. At this site you will find trade leads, information on trade events and market research data for worldwide opportunities.
Tourism Cares Leadership Summit Set for Acapulco
Mark your calendars and register for the 7th Annual Tourism Cares Leadership Summit, to be held at the Fairmont Acapulco Princess in Acapulco, Mexico, Oct. 11-14. The Summit gives buyers and sellers of travel the opportunity to talk one-on-one in an informal networking environment.
Instead of meeting at a trade show or in a boardroom, high-level travel professionals gather to talk shop at lavish receptions and dinners at luxury resorts. All participants can take part in activities such as golf, horseback riding, sightseeing and much more. There’s even an option to extend your stay to participate in a post-Summit Tourism Cares for Acapulco clean-up project.
The Leadership Summit is a great way to develop business relationships while learning about Tourism Cares initiatives and enjoying Acapulco and all that it has to offer.
Travel buyers may qualify to be invited guests and sponsorship is very reasonable. To learn more about buyer participation and about opportunities to be a sponsor and to donate to the special live and silent auctions, visit http://www.tourismcares.org/ or e-mail Natalie King or call her at 781.821.5990.