Did You Win? | Begich, Bonner, and Farr to Address Summit Luncheon
April 17, 2012
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TODAY’S ARTICLES
Did You Win?
Begich, Bonner and Farr to Address Summit Luncheon
The Lubrication Specialist [VIDEO]
Reddekopp, at WTTC Summit, Shares Lessons from Japan
Update on Travel Exchange Webinars
Last Chance to Stand Out in NTA’s Annual Membership Directory
Highlights from ‘China Market Insights’
2 Basic Business Tools You Ought to Update
Industry News and Updates
NTA Job Center
If you registered for Travel Exchange last week, you were entered to win some fantastic prizes. Is your name on this list?
Tour Operators (buyers)
- Registration to Travel Exchange: Larry Brodsky, Country Heritage Tours, Inc.
- Free NTA dues for 2013: Shannon Fore, Tourico Holiday, Inc.
- Registration for Contact 2013: Kathleen Nooyen, Care Free Travel
- A pair of tickets to see Blue Man Group: Xueyan Chen, Pacificoast Commerce & Culture Developing Group
- Dinner for two at NASCAR Sports Grille at Universal City Walk: Kristine Geary, McCoy Bus Service and Tours
- An Apple iPad: Joseph Rymer, Festive Holidays
Tour Suppliers and DMOs (sellers)
- Registration to Travel Exchange: Alissa Preston, Experience Columbus
- Free NTA dues for 2013: Anthony Valentin, Best Western Rio Grande Inn
- Full-page ad in the on-site Travel Exchange program: Martha Starkey, Wayne County CVB
- A seminar sponsorship and attendance package to Contact 2013: Rosemary Judkins, Alabama Tourism Department
- An Apple iPad: Rob Fredricks, The Cody Cattle Company
Congratulations, and we’ll see you all in Orlando!
Begich, Bonner and Farr to Address Summit Luncheon
Three co-chairs of the U.S. Senate and Congressional Tourism Caucuses will be featured speakers at the Congressional Tourism Leaders Luncheon at the Grassroots Congressional Travel Summit (May 8–10).
Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Rep. Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) and Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.) will share their analyses of current tourism issues at the luncheon, scheduled for Tuesday, May 8, in the Hart Senate Office Building. The congressmen will cover pressing issues such as visa legislation, transportation appropriations, public lands policy and both domestic and international marketing of the United States as a destination.
The event, set during National Tourism Week, is jointly sponsored by the Destination Marketing Association International, NTA and the Southeast Tourism Society. Co-sponsors are the American Bus Association, American Indian Alaska Native Travel Association, American Society of Travel Agents, Interactive Travel Services Association, National Parks Hospitality Association, NYC & Company, Student & Youth Travel Association, United Motorcoach Association, U.S. Travel Association and the Western States Tourism Policy Council.
The morning session on May 8 will be highlighted by special presentations by Joel Secundy, vice president of strategic outreach for Brand USA, and Todd Davidson, CEO of the Oregon Tourism Commission and chairman of the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Council. Secundy and Davidson will present plans, goals and strategies for increasing inbound and domestic tourism to boost the national economy and create more jobs.
Afternoon discussions will focus on visa issues, surface transportation, national parks and marketing. Attendees at the Summit can use the information provided on May 8 during visits to members of Congress and their staffs on May 9 and 10.
For more information about the Summit—and to register, follow this link.
The Lubrication Specialist [VIDEO]
During the recent Travel Exchange Task Force breakfast in Orlando, Paul Nakamoto shared with attendees what he discovered while walking the UMA Motorcoach Expo floor in February. Among other things, he met a "lubrication specialist" and ended up doing business with him. Just watch:
This is a perfect example of what Travel Exchange holds in store … you might find your next business partner, your next supplier or your next money-saving opportunity for your company, but you won’t know unless you register.
As Paul says in the video, "You just never know what you’re going to find."
Reddekopp, at WTTC Summit, Shares Lessons from Japan
Jim Reddekopp Jr., NTA chairman, is meeting in Japan with some 500 industry professionals and government leaders at the World Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit, taking place in Tokyo and Sendai, April 16 and 17.
The theme of the event is "Leading a Dynamic Industry through Turbulent Times." 
Reddekopp, who toured the island nation last year after the earthquake and tsunami, knows how devastating a natural disaster can be for tourism. From the Summit’s sessions, he hopes to gain insight into planning for the unexpected, dealing with a cleanup and rebuilding for the future.
"Japan is an excellent place to learn about humility," Reddekopp said. "With so much devastation after the earthquake and tsunami, it’s amazing to see how fast they recovered."
Reddekopp said he is inspired by the way the Japanese dealt with the catastrophe. "I heard countless stories about how ‘it’s not just about me and my family’s needs’ but about the country’s needs," he said. "I heard about gift offerings of everyday necessities, where people only took what they needed for the day-not for the whole month. Thinking of others first is a lesson we can all learn from."
Along with surveying Japan’s recovery, attendees at the WTTC conference will also examine the economic impact of travel and tourism at a time of global turbulence, global "megatrends," and the role of airlines in the industry.
Update on Travel Exchange Webinars
The dates for the Travel Exchange Webinars have changed. The Travel Exchange: Explore, Expand, Excel series will start not this week, but the first week of May. The free sessions, tailored to specific audiences and hosted by NTA members, will provide previews of the schedule, the layout of the floor and the benefits of more business opportunities at Travel Exchange ’13. Watch your e-mail and upcoming issues of Tuesday for a schedule of sessions.
Last Chance to Stand Out in NTA’s Annual Membership Directory
Are you selling to NTA tour operators?
Did you know that nearly 80 percent of NTA tour operators say they use the Membership Directory in their day-to-day jobs? Stand out on the page in this useful publication through an enhanced listing or display advertisement. The impact of an ad or enhancement can really make a difference!
The deadline to reserve space is April 20, 2012, so e-mail NTA Services Inc. or call 859.264.6559 today!
Highlights from ‘China Market Insights’
NTA’s March 27 Webinar, "China Market Insights," presented by Scott Johnson of Travel Market Insights and Dr. Robert Li of the University of South Carolina, provided multiple takeaways for participants. Here are a few:
- Chinese tourism is the fastest-growing inbound market for the United States.
- Currently the ninth-leading inbound country, China is projected to be third by 2016 (increasing 274 percent in five years).
- Most frequently visited states:
- California
- Florida
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Massachusetts
- New York
- Nevada
- Pennsylvania
- Texas
- Chinese tourists want to experience different cultures and people, increase their knowledge of destinations and get some R&R.
- Top interests are natural attractions, city sightseeing, shopping, cultural/historical sites and restaurants.
Johnson and Li said this market is trending toward more product diversity and niche markets, and Chinese visitors are arriving with higher expectations of Chinese language and services awareness. To enhance your success with the Chinese market, the experts advise increasing education efforts, strengthening your online presence and focusing on high-quality experiences that can be captured by cameras.
2 Basic Business Tools You Ought to Update
Staying on top of new technology and ever-shifting economic conditions requires your constant attention. But as you adjust to the new, don’t relax your grip on the old. Two recent business articles put a current touch on well-established tools: Business cards and e-mail marketing.
Even in these digital-dominant days, your business card can convey key information and project an image of professionalism and credibility. On NetworkSolutions.com, Thomas Ford offers 10 tips for getting the most out of your business cards, including:
- Picture: Whether it’s your face or your product, a picture makes your card more of a keeper.
- Tagline: A single-sentence benefit statement might be more memorable than your company name.
- High quality: Use a thicker card stock to give your image added heft.
- Professional touch: Just because you can design your own card doesn’t mean you should. Pay a pro to do it.
- Distribution: When you’ve got great business cards, get rid of them! Be intentional about distributing your cards.
E-mail marketing has been a business staple since 1999, evolving through changes in technology, strategies and legal restrictions. Karen Talavera, on MarketingProfs.com, warns that best practices are not set in stone and should be routinely re-evaluated. Here are three facets of e-mail marketing you should consider (site requires free registration):
- List-building: When e-mail was new, many marketers collected lists however possible and e-mailed prospects who were neither engaged nor responsive. Today, a list that contains a lot of inactive subscribers can damage both your deliverability and your reputation.
- Subject lines: While early marketers were warned to keep subject lines short, recent research shows that a longer subject lines better set the recipient’s expectation of the e-mail’s content, which leads to higher response rate.
- Metrics: Today’s marketing pros look beyond basic measurements of opens, clicks and conversions. They analyze a list’s average order value, revenue per e-mail address, and the percentage that has ever opened an e-mail.
Whether it’s business cards or e-mail practices, experts advise that you regularly assess your business basics and remain open to change and innovation.
- The number of international visitors traveling to the United States in January 2012 (4.5 million) increased seven percent increase over January 2011. The top inbound markets, Canada and Mexico, showed increases, while Western Europe was flat and the Caribbean decreased four percent. Tourism spending from aboard also increased, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
- February’s on-time arrival rate of 86.2 percent, posted by the United States’ largest airlines, is up nearly 12 percentage points from last February, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The rates of mishandled baggage and cancellations are down.
- Bookings for groups are driving up hotel occupancy rates and average daily rates, according to TravelClick’s March 2012 North American Hospitality Review. Group commitments through the end of 2012 are running 5.1 percent ahead of last year.
Senior Tourism Sales Manager with Experience Columbus (Ohio)
The Senior Tourism Sales Manager promotes and sells Columbus as a leisure destination for group tours to tour operators, bus companies and wholesalers; achieves specific individual and team sales quotas; works on product development in response to current industry trends.
Qualifications: Minimum of five years’ experience in hotel or convention bureau sales preferred; sales account management experience; degree from an accredited institution in hospitality management or marketing preferred. Strong verbal and written communication skills; ability to handle multiple projects; well organized; detail oriented, excellent customer service skills; professional and personable manner; ability to travel; attend local, regional, national events on evenings and/or weekends.
Submit your résumé and cover letter by April 25 to:
Vice President, Finance & Administration
Experience Columbus
277 W. Nationwide Blvd., Ste. 125
Columbus, OH 43215
You can also submit by fax (614-221-5618) or e-mail: Resumes@ExperienceColumbus.com. No phone calls please. Experience Columbus is an equal opportunity employer.
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