Breaking the Ice: PHOTOS from Contact in Newport | Nominate Your Colleague for these Industry Awards
August 2, 2011
Interested in advertising in Tuesday? E-mail Kami Risk at kami.risk@NTAservicesinc.com.
TODAY’S ARTICLES
Breaking the Ice: PHOTOS from Contact in Newport
Nominate Your Colleague for these Industry Awards
Two Reasons to Contact Your Congress Members Now
Early Bird Deadline just 10 Days Away!
We Want to Give You $100
Update: 9/11 Memorial Webinar and Industry Fund-raiser
Volcanic Ash Continues to Plague Argentina Tourism
Latest NTA Trip Planner Promotes NTA Members to 20,000 Group Leaders
Which Cities Offer the Best Visitor Value?
Tourism Cares Volunteer Day: Last Call for Registration!
Reach Every Tour Operator in Vegas, Not Just Your Appointments!
Industry News and Updates
Breaking the Ice: PHOTOS from Contact in Newport
NTA launched Contact, its tour operator-exclusive event, in Newport, Rhode Island, last night, with an Icebreaker at the beautiful Rosecliff Mansion. While you can’t taste the seafood and inhale the salt air, the photos below and on Facebook will give you an eyeful of the event. Keep checking Facebook for more photos; we’ll add them as we get them!
Nominate Your Colleague for these Industry Awards
Do you know a colleague who deserves recognition for their work in the industry? NTA is accepting nominations now for the Bob Everidge Lifetime Achievement Award and the Pioneer Award. This is your chance to honor someone who has worked to advance the association, the industry or both.
The Bob Everidge award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding, ongoing contributions to NTA and its members. Here are additional nomination criteria:
- Displays active dedication to the mission of NTA and the best interests of its members
- Makes extensive volunteer contributions to NTA and its members
- Consistently conducts himself/herself in a manner in keeping with the ethics, quality and sense of community espoused by NTA
- Has a minimum of 20 years involvement in the travel industry that includes service that furthered the interests of NTA and its members
The Pioneer Award honors individuals whose accomplishments have resulted in a significant change in the travel industry from which NTA and its members (specifically tour operators) have benefited. Pioneer award nominees do not have to be NTA members.
Any person employed by an NTA member company is eligible to make a nomination for either award by submitting a brief narrative (250 words) about the nominee. Additional material may be included with the narrative.
Nominations for the awards, which will be presented at Convention ’11 in Las Vegas, are due by Friday, Aug. 23, and should be submitted to NTA Executive Assistant Amie Tyson.
Two Reasons to Contact Your Congress Members Now
Officials in Washington, D.C., have been focused on the debt ceiling, but they shouldn’t lose sight of the importance of tourism as a shot in the arm to the U.S. economy. There are two ways you can help them keep the tourism industry on their agenda.
1. Caucuses: Encourage your senators and representative to join their respective tourism caucus, where they can maintain a national policy focus on travel and the economy. Below are the current members of the newly formed Senate Travel & Tourism Caucus; a list of members of the House caucus can be viewed here. If you don’t see your representatives’ names, give them a call and encourage them to join. (Click here and here for reasons your senators and representative should belong.)
Begich, D-Alaska, co-chair
Blunt, R-Mo., co-chair
Scott Brown, R-Mass.
Gillibrand, D-N.Y.
Heller, R-Nev.
Kirk, R-Ill., co-chair
Klobuchar, D-Minn., co-chair
Landrieu, D-La.
Menendez, D-N.J.
Shaheen, D-N.H.
Stabenow, D-Mich.
Thune, R-S.D.
Warner, D-Va.
2. Corporation for Travel Promotion: The newly established Corporation is poised to play a critical role in promoting travel to the United States, but it was recently placed on the chopping block by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor when it was listed on his Web site You Cut. Fortunately, the Corporation received an insufficient number of clicks to warrant a cut and has been spared—for now.
"You can ask members of Congress to protect our national marketing tool by reminding them of the importance of the Corporation for Travel Promotion," said Steve Richer, NTA public affairs advocate. "It’s especially important if your representative is new."
During this time of fiscal restraint, all funding is on the table. Make your voice heard.
Early Bird Deadline just 10 Days Away!
Early bird registration for Convention ’11 ends on Aug. 12! That leaves you with just 10 days to take advantage of Early Bird rates on one of the most important investments you’ll make this year. 
NTA’s Convention is where you and your fellow NTA members gather for top-notch business, an education line-up that will help you push your business and career further, and great fun and networking opportunities.
You know you want to come! Register now and save some cash!
Early Bird savings:
Tour operators save $110 (Plus, registering before Aug. 12 makes you eligible for the tour operator rebate-an additional $650.)
Tour suppliers save $200
DMOs save $200
And don’t forget you can register now and pay later by clicking the "check" option on your registration form. We’ll sign you up at the Early Bird rate and send you an invoice. Register today and cross that item off your "To Do" list. We’ll see you in Vegas!
We want more members just like you, and we’re ready to pay you US$100+ to help us find them!
August is member referral month! That means you’ll receive US$100 for each potential member you refer to us in August, who joins NTA before Nov. 1.
It’s easy: Just send your referral’s contact information to Lori Rempe at NTA headquarters before Aug. 31. (The sooner you send them the better!) She’ll take it from there.
Then, for each person you refer who becomes a member by Nov. 1, you’ll receive $100. The more you refer, the more money you can make!
Extra push: If you’d like to send your own e-mail to your referrals explaining why they, too, belong at NTA, you can use these online tools to help shape your message. Your personal touch will help familiarize them with our great organization before we contact them.
Referrals have already started rolling in. Get yours in, too! Send in your referral(s) now and you could have some extra holiday money in November!
While this special bonus is only available during Member Referral Month, you can refer new members at any time during the year and still make some cash. For each new member you refer during the other 11 months, you’ll receive a US$25 gift card PLUS your name will be entered into a drawing this November to have your 2012 membership dues paid in full.
NTA is your association, and this is your opportunity to bring in the people you want to do business with.
Update: 9/11 Memorial Webinar and Industry Fund-raiser
The 9/11 Memorial is a tribute to the nearly 3,000 people killed in the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, (and in the attack on the World Trade Center on Feb. 26, 1993). On Sept. 11 this year, the memorial will be dedicated in a special ceremony for victims’ families, and it will open to the public the following day. The 9/11 Memorial Museum will open next September.
To help tour operators make arrangements for groups visiting the memorial, NTA will host a Webinar on Aug. 11 at 4 p.m. ET. The 30-minute session will cover reservation booking procedures, bus drop-off and parking and instructions for cancellations. To reserve a spot in the Webinar, e-mail Ken Goode, NTA communications and marketing coordinator. 
A special note about the memorial and museum: NTA members are encouraged to join the travel industry’s collective efforts to preserve the Yamasaki model of the World Trade Center, the only remaining architectural presentation. Spearheaded by Tourism Cares, this project will provide a glass case in the 9/11 Museum to protect and display the WTC model as a soaring landmark in the New York skyline. It’s simple to help: Just text "TOUR 911" to 50555 to make an immediate contribution of $10. For more information, go to the Tourism Cares Web page.
Volcanic Ash Continues to Plague Argentina Tourism
Ash clouds from a Chilean volcano continue to interrupt travel in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay, according to reports (here and here). Flight disruptions started on June 7, when the volcanic ash cloud from a June 4 eruption of the Puyehue volcano in southeastern Chile spread to other countries.
Airports serving Argentinian ski resorts have either closed or are operating on irregular schedules, and the timing couldn’t be worse, according to NTA board member Jorge Cazenave of Buenos Aires. "We are in the middle of the winter holidays, and the ash situation is very bad for some of the ski resorts," he said. "Tourism is the main source of income for the towns, and most people fly there."
Cazenave added that his tour company has conducted "major re-routings" with groups to work around the disrupted flight schedule. This Web site provides flight updates for Argentinian airports (Spanish only).
Latest NTA Trip Planner Promotes NTA Members to 20,000 Group Leaders
The fifth edition of the NTA Trip Planner for group leaders is now available in printed and digital form. In this new publication you will find details on more than 20 shows that will be part of the 2011–12 Broadway season and an article profiling NTA members that link travelers to history’s key events and characters.
The "I Want to Go There" section provides a look at unique group tours, budget-friendly options, culinary specialties and festivals in 20 top cities around the world. The publication also includes features stories on shopping, casinos and dining, and Q & A’s with specialists in faith-based travel, literary tours and international rail travel.
The purpose of the two NTA Trip Planner publications is to introduce specific travel buyers—group leaders and student travel planners—to NTA members and educate them about the diverse products offered by the association’s tour operator, tour supplier and DMO members. Each magazine is distributed to more than 20,000 buyers. The next issue of the student Trip Planner will come out February 2012.
For information on advertising in either the student or group leader version of the Trip Planner, e-mail advertising@ntaservicesinc.com or call +1.859.264.6559.
Which Cities Offer the Best Visitor Value?
Las Vegas and Bangkok provide tourists the best bang for their U.S. buck, according to a TripAdvisor cost comparison of 15 U.S. cities and 50 popular travel spots around the world.
To rank the cities, the travel Web site priced four items in each destination:
- One night at a four-star hotel (between June and August 2011)
- Five-mile taxi ride
- Dry martini
- Large cheese pizza
(Hotel costs were the big driver in the study.)
Topping the list of U.S. cities were Las Vegas, with a total cost of US$164, Dallas (US$210) and New Orleans (US$210). New York City arrived with the highest cost (US$367).
On the list of global cities, Bangkok (US$112), Beijing (US$120) and Sharm El Sheikh (US$128) were rated the best values, while Paris (US$429) presented the highest tab. At $US136, Sofia, Bulgaria, was the best-value European city for U.S. travelers.
Click here to see more city rankings.
Tourism Cares Volunteer Day: Last Call for Registration!
On Friday, Sept. 9, Tourism Cares will bring together more than 200 travel and tourism industry volunteers to make a difference at Valley Forge National Historical Park in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, (just minutes from Philadelphia) for their second annual Volunteer Day event. Held in commemoration of the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, this annual initiative attracts volunteers at all levels: from small business owners and front-line employees to corporate executives and industry leaders. 
Valley Forge, like other national parks across the country, is facing funding challenges that prevent the staff from completing major maintenance projects essential to preserving the overall experience for its visitors.
Please consider donating your time and talents by volunteering on September 9. Your participation and support are vital to the project’s success!
The registration deadline is Aug. 12. Please click here to learn more and sign up today!
Reach Every Tour Operator in Vegas, Not Just Your Appointments!
For only US$1,250, you can put your company in front of every appointment-taking tour operator at Convention. How? Through an insert in the Profile Form Notebook. Placed in front of every tour operator at their appointment booth, this binder is used to collect and organize information not only while at Convention, but beyond.
Participate in this offer, and your profile form will be inserted into every Profile Form Notebook, ensuring your information is given to all tour operators, not just those you meet with. Display advertisements are also available in this publication, ranging from covers to tabs.
Interested? Contact Karla DiNardo by e-mail or phone (+1.859.264.6556) today for details. And click here to see other ways you can put your company in front of the tour operators in Vegas!
- Mexico’s international image may be taking a hit due to violence related to drug cartels, but its international tourism increased in 2011.
- More than 800 Texas tourism officials traveled to Austin to ask lawmakers to rethink plans to cut 80 percent of state funding for tourism promotion. And it worked.
- Global air traffic bounced back with a 6.6 percent rise in 2010 and a 6 percent hike in first half of 2011, according to a report from Airports Council International.
- Topping the list of tips for enjoying a vacation is booking well ahead, according to this New York Times article, which says early planning "brings many people more joy than the actual vacation."
Click here for the Tuesday archive.