Astronaut to Open Travel Exchange | Movie House Tragedy Strikes Former Member
July 24, 2012
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TODAY’S ARTICLES
Blast Off! U.S. Astronaut to Open Travel Exchange
A $3-Million Week
Two Sessions, Two Leaders: Too Good to Miss
Movie House Tragedy Strikes Former Member
Market Focus
Increase Business Profits and Reduce Expenses
Theaters Take Center Stage in August Courier
Find Your Place in NTA’s China Inbound Program
Are You the Best the USA has to Offer?
Tips for Surviving the Off-season
Industry News and Updates
Blast Off! U.S. Astronaut to Open Travel Exchange
It’s official! Former NASA Astronaut and U.S. Marine Robert Springer is our keynote 
speaker for the Opening Ceremony at this year’s Travel Exchange 2013!
During Springer’s nine-year term at NASA, he flew on two space-crafts, Discovery and Atlantis, both launched from the Kennedy Space Center near Orlando, Florida. Upon completing his second mission, he had logged more than 237 hours in space.
Now retired from air and space travel, Springer works as the Director of Quality Systems, Integrated Defense Systems at The Boeing Company.
Come to Travel Exchange and listen to Springer share his view on the world of travel, Monday Jan. 21, 2013! Read his bio here.
Two Shows. One Price. A World of Opportunities. Register for Travel Exchange today!
New on the Do Big Things blog is an extension of the August Courier‘s Business Builder Buzz, which features a Q&A with Aniseh Dalju of Destination America.
In the blog post, Aniseh explains what went into making "A $3-Million Week," and there are 11 tips on building better business relationships. Check out the blog post to learn why you should "be out there," and please be sure to add your own comments and tips!
Speaking of being out there, be sure to connect with us on Twitter and the NTA and Courier Facebook pages (all great ways to see what will be happening during Contact), and on Linkedin, where you’ll find active discussions on family travel, serving Chinese tourists, and building business during challenging economic times. AND, there’s a new NTA Government Relations Linkedin group, so be sure to join!
Two Sessions, Two Leaders: Too Good to Miss
If you have any questions about Travel Exchange—anything about the big NTA/UMA event in Orlando-here’s an ideal opportunity to get answers. 
On Aug. 6 and 10, Jim Reddekopp Jr. and Lisa Simon, the association’s chairman and its president, will host an online forum called "Travel Exchange: Explore, Expand, Excel." During the free, hourlong Webinars, Reddekopp and Simon will talk about the schedule and format of the Jan. 20–24 event.
The two sessions in August are updated versions of the Webinars held in May, and you can join either one (or both!) to learn the latest about the education lineup, social events and appointments. Ready to sign up?
Click here to register for the session on Monday, Aug. 6, from 2 to 3 p.m. ET.
Click here to register for the session on Friday, Aug. 10, from 2 to 3 p.m. ET.
Movie House Tragedy Strikes Former Member
NTA is sad to announce that the tragedy in Aurora, Colorado, touched a former member representative. Jessica Ghawi, killed during the movie theater shooting last week, was the daughter of Sandy Phillips, formerly national tourism sales manager of the San Antonio Covention & Visitors Bureau. A memorial service is planned for 10 a.m. Saturday at Community Bible Church in San Antonio.
Known in NTA circles as "Sandy-Tonio," Phillips recently became executive director for the Texas Hill Country Trail. See this newspaper story for details about Ghawi’s life and comments from Phillips.
Ghawi, whose professional name was Jessica Redfield, recently moved to Colorado
to pursue a career in sports journalism. She was also working to set up a nonprofit foundation to help victims of the Colorado wildfires. Now a foundation has been established in her name. The Jessica Redfield Sports Journalism Scholarship Fund will help another upcoming young talent pursue sports journalism.
Phillips and her son, Jordan Ghawi, ask that all memorial gifts be directed to the scholarship fund. The Web site offers a running progress report of the fund’s $20,000 goal.
Stay connected to members making news in a variety of market segments. Each article link is followed by a link to the NTA member to contact for more information. And if you have a news story or educational article about your organization’s involvement in a key industry market, send it for possible republication to Kevin Wright, NTA’s director of growth markets.
Adventure
Lake George New York—Adventure Getaways
NTA members to contact: Lake George Area in New York’s Adirondacks; The Georgian Resort; Lake George Steamboat Company
Overseas Visitors Seeking Manitoba Adventures Behind Tourism Boost
NTA member to contact: Travel Manitoba; Frontiers North, Inc.
Summertime Adventures in Durango, Colorado
NTA member to contact: Durango Area Tourism Office; Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
Agritourism and Culinary Tourism
State Farms in Maryland: From Farmers Markets to Ice Cream Trails
NTA member to contact: Maryland Office of Tourism Development
Thompson Okanagan Offers Slice of Good Life: Wineries, Orchards, Golf, Hiking
NTA member to contact: Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association
Family Travel
Salt Lake’s New City Creek Center a Good Summer Stop for Families
NTA member to contact: Visit Salt Lake
Sports Tourism
Sporting Events a Winning Goal for Bucks County Tourism Industry
NTA member to contact: Bucks County Conference & Visitors Bureau
Rail Travel
The Bernina Express: Switzerland’s Best Train Journey Features Glaciers, Palm Trees and Italy
NTA member to contact: Switzerland Tourism
Increase Business Profits and Reduce Expenses
Capital One, NTA’S Corporate Partner, offers discounted rates on credit card processing services to NTA members. Sign up with Capital One Bank and let them help you increase your business profits and reduce expenses through payment acceptance.
"At Capital One Merchant services we want to make all of your processing needs hassle free. As an NTA corporate sponsor, we value your business and will make sure we give each customer the best service and products in the industry today."
—Matthew Landers, Capital One Merchant Services Senior Vice President
Capital One benefits include: 
- No underwriting fees
- Transparent and competitive rates
- Gift and loyalty card programs to help increase your sales and repeat systems
- Ability to utilize your existing equipment and interface with major POS systems
- No annual or monthly minimum fees
- 24-hour customer support
- PCI Compliance program
Take advantage of this membership perk and increase your bottom line today. Contact Kimberly Bonzelaar by e-mail, or call 703.720.1657, and identify yourself as an NTA member.
Visit NTA Online to see all the Corporate Partner discounts!
Theaters Take Center Stage in August Courier
The Augus
t Courier includes a comprehensive look at NTA members who offer a wide variety of theater options. The theaters special section takes you on stage and behind the scenes at some of the top performance venues in New York City; Branson, Missouri; and six international cities. You’ll also get a sneak peak at what shows will make their debut during the upcoming 2012–13 Broadway season.
In the business section, you can find out Catherine Heeg’s three untapped keys to social media success, learn why Aniseh Dalju feels Travel Exchange is the No.1 NTA-member benefit and find out more about the faith-based market from Globus’ Mike Schields. This month’s destination stories cover Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, the Pacific Northwest, and Greece & Turkey.
You can share your comments on Courier‘s Facebook page.
Find Your Place in NTA’s China Inbound Program
Chinese visitation to the United States has increased 48 percent in 2012. Looking ahead, 90 percent of Chinese tour operators projected an increase in bookings from China to the United States (including Hawaii and Guam) in the second quarter of 2012, according to a China Travel Trade Barometer survey. And 100 percent projected third quarter 2012 bookings to be higher than during the third quarter of 2011.
NTA can help connect you with those travelers. Learn about NTA’s China Inbound Program during a free Webinar on Thursday, Aug. 2, at 2 p.m. ET. The online session, "Introduction to the NTA China Inbound Program," will cover a lot of ground:
- History of the NTA China Inbound Program
- Requirements for becoming a China Inbound Program tour operator
- Services China Inbound tour operators offer to the Chinese inbound tourists
- Recommendations on how DMOs and suppliers can work with the China inbound tour operators to promote the U.S. inbound market and services
- Ideas for better promoting the U.S.
Follow this link to reserve your Webinar seat. And for questions, contact Jason Terwilliger, NTA education & research manager.
Are You the Best the USA has to Offer?
We think so! That’s why you should be in the NTA U.S. Travel Directory for China inbound tour operators. This publication offers top destinations and attractions the opportunity to advertise and promote themselves to this booming market.
- The Chinese travel market represents more than $65 billion dollars.
- It’s one of the fastest-growing markets for inbound U.S. travel.
- China’s 36 percent increase in 2011 visitor volume catapulted the country into the top 10 list.
- OTTI Travel Forecast calls for China to continue to move up in ranking in each of the next two years.
The NTA U.S. Travel Directory promotes NTA tour operators and destination and supplier members approved by the China National Tourism Administration to Chinese travel agents/tour operators. It will be distributed in China through trade
shows, road shows and the NTA Visit USA Center in Shanghai. Print distribution is 5,000 and digital distribution is 6,000. NTA offers free translation of your advertisement into simplified Chinese.
The deadline is upon us. You must book by August 1 because space is limited, so contact us by e-mail or at 859.264.6559. We look forward to helping you reach this market!
P.S. You can see last year’s edition here.
Tips for Surviving the Off-season
Whether it’s winter’s chill, summer’s heat or the rainy season, you probably have a 
time of year when business falls off. In a blog on New York Times.com, John Grossman profiles owners of a California restaurant and food market who suffered an 80 percent drop in business during the off-season. The article explores several options. While you might not be a restaurateur, the approaches to surviving the lean months might be useful:
- Host events (not related to your core business) that bring people to your venue
- Stock products related to your business that aren’t available nearby
- Negotiate a new rent structure
- Feature a product or activity the locals want-at an attractive price
For the full story, "A Seasonal Business Aims to Survive the Off-season," follow this link.
- Exercise and healthy eating play a key role during many Americans’ vacations, according to a Trip Advisor survey. Walking is the top activity, and the hotel gym and pool are preferred workout spots.
- Spending by international visitors to the United States increased 8 percent in May, compared to May 2011. Comparing the first five months of 2012 with last year, international spending is up 12 percent, according to the Office of Travel & Tourism Industries.
- Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), a senior member of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, introduced legislation to make it easier for family members to sit together on a plane.
Click here for the Tuesday archive.