Tuesday Newsletter – April 6, 2010
April 6, 2010
Volume 30, Issue 14
Interested in advertising in Tuesday? E-mail Kelley Burchell at kelley.burchell@NTAstaff.com.
TODAY’S ARTICLES
Convention Registration Is Open
MONTAGE Wrap-up
NTA Members: Attend ATA’s 35th Annual Congress at the ATA Member Rate
Secretary Napalitano Announces New Measures to Strengthen Aviation Security
Calgary Horsepower PDT Includes Airfare
Begin Your Blog
National Parks Week Is Coming up, Let NTA Tell Your Story
Become a T-shirt Sponsor and Show your Support of Tourism Cares for America
What’s New in Travel News
Convention Registration Is Open 
Registration opened today at 12 p.m. ET. Early Bird registration specials run through July 9 and appointment scheduling opens July 15. Register now for the best prices and appointments!
Convention ’10 brings you:
- The most diverse group of buyers and sellers of any travel industry show. Destinations and suppliers from every U.S. state, Canadian province and more than 40 countries.
- An expected 650 buyers
- One registration, two shows-access to the World Religious Travel Association Expo at no added cost for all NTA Convention delegates.
- All-inclusive events … all access, all members, all the time.
- More than 100 buyers who told us they only go to NTA.
- 40 percent increase in available one-on-one appointment slots this year! Three times the available appointments of any other show.
With Convention ’10 registration opening today, now’s the time to start planning how you can maximize your exposure in Montréal! Sponsorships are now available that will ensure you great visibility and benefits. Sponsor at the US$5,000 level and receive an exhibit booth on the exchange floor – the perfect way to stand out to the expected 650 buyers that will be there. Click here for a complete list of sponsorships and benefits. Contact Karla DiNardo to secure your spot today!
Convention ‘10 is just one of the many ways NTA expands buying and selling opportunities for our members. Register and find out where your membership can take you.
Members and industry guests from 13 countries will come together next week, April 14-17 in Seville, Spain for MONTAGE.
For those of you attending this buying/selling and educational event, look for an e-mail late this week detailing last-minute reminders and pointers for your trip to Seville.
Besides making connections for business, MONTAGE has a full slate of educational sessions. Also, four topics have been announced for the scheduled Table Topics Discussion Seminar at MONTAGE:
•Handling the Unexpected.
•Creating a Cohesive Team with Your Staff.
•Prioritizing New Ideas.
•Building Your International Business.
Please contact Andrea Richardson with your MONTAGE education questions.
See you at MONTAGE!
NTA Members: Attend ATA’s 35th Annual Congress at the ATA Member Rate 
The Africa Travel Association, an NTA strategic partner, is inviting NTA members to take part in its 35th Annual Congress May 17-20 at the Sheraton Gambia Hotel Resort and Spa in The Gambia for the ATA member rate. The theme of this year’s congress is Discover Africa’s Genuine Warmth.
Any NTA member wishing to know more about the African destination should take advantage of this four-day, international networking and learning event which includes 15-minute face-to-face appointments for buyers and sellers and educational sessions on marketing and promotions, key industry trends and infrastructure development.
"The congress will provide a diverse group of travel experts from across Africa and around the world with the unique opportunity to learn from each other about the current state and future prospects of travel and tourism to Africa and to work together to shape the industry’s future agenda," said Edward Berman, ATA executive director.
To register, visit www.africatravelassociation.org/ata/events/ac.html or call +1.212.447.1357. Early-bird registration is available until April 14.
Secretary Napalitano Announces New Measures to Strengthen Aviation Security
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that the Transportation Security Administration will begin implementing new enhanced security measures for all air carriers with international flights to the United States to strengthen the safety and security of all passengers. These new measures supersede the enhanced security put in place following the attempted U.S. terrorist attack Dec. 25, 2009.
Passengers traveling to the United States from international destinations may notice enhanced security and random screening measures throughout the passenger check-in and boarding process, including the use of explosives trace detection, advanced imaging technology, canine teams, or pat downs, among other security measures.
These new, more flexible security protocols-tailored to reflect the most current information available to the U.S. government-will apply to all passengers traveling to the United States. For more information go to dhs.gov.
Calgary Horsepower PDT Includes Airfare
The Calgary Horsepower Product Development Trip, hosted by Tourism Calgary July 15-20, now includes coach round-trip airfare from North America in the US$75 registration fee. The deadline to register is May 28.
This PDT highlights Calgary’s cowboy culture and the city’s signature event through Chuckwagon Races, a Stampede Park dinner and a behind-the-scenes tour and interactive session with Pro Rodeo athletes. The tour includes a session at a Rocky Mountain Ropes Course and a cowboy adventure at the Rafter Six Ranch, as well as stops at area museums and attractions.
Tour companies that have included Calgary in the past (or are planning to in the next two years) may send one person. Visit NTAonline.com for a detailed itinerary and registration form. Send questions to Lisa Thompson in NTA’s marketing department.
There are over 133 million blogs floating around on the World Wide Web, according to Catherine Heeg, NTA social media expert and international speaker and trainer. Heeg provides the how, the what and the where of blogging in the April issue of Courier as a preview to the three sessions on social media she will lead at MONTAGE next week.
Here are a few tidbits from her article:
•Use a blog platform like WordPress.org, Bloger.org or Typepad.com to set up your blog with a custom theme and color scheme
•Add an option for an RSS feed so readers can follow your blog or pass it on
•Make it easy for readers to comment by including that feature when you set up
•Provide links to your other social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn)
•Get ideas for what to write by keeping an ongoing list of frequently asked questions and gathering inspiration from comments
Participate in Heeg’s seminars at MONTAGE and make sure you check out her most recent Podcasts.
National Parks Week Is Coming up, Let NTA Tell Your Story 
Did you know that National Parks Week is April 17-25? This presidentially proclaimed week is designed to celebrate the U.S. national parks. Best of all, entrance to U.S. national parks is free for the duration of the week. This year’s focus is on fitness and April 24 is Junior Ranger Day, the perfect time for families to have some outdoor fun together.
Tell NTA how you or your company is taking advantage of National Parks Week. Many members have already sent in their stories so don’t be left out. Do you have special tours planned or groups scheduled specifically because of it? Have you had a special experience or trip to an unusual or little-known park? NTA wants to tell your story to the media. Contact NTA Public Relations Specialist Madeline Vied at 800.682.8886 or +1.859.226.4275 so we can share the great work you do.
Also, don’t forget Canada’s Parks Day on July 17. Canada’s Parks Day will recognize the International Year of Biodiversity as well as the 125th anniversary of the creation of Banff, Canada’s first national park. Starting in May, the Parks Day Web site will have event information.
Become a T-shirt Sponsor and Show your Support of Tourism Cares for America 
Show your commitment to preserving the travel experience by becoming a t-shirt sponsor for the 2010 Tourism Cares for America San Francisco Bay volunteer event. For a tax or business deductible donation of US$250, your name or company logo will be featured on the official Tourism Cares for America t-shirt, worn by all volunteers on the work day scheduled for June 4, on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay.
Angel Island attracts thousands of visitors for its history and recreational activities and this picturesque California State Park overlooks the San Francisco skyline, Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. Due to extreme budget cuts at California State Parks, Angel Island needs the travel industry’s help to clear and restore recreational areas and trails throughout the island.
For more information on the 2010 Tourism Cares for America event, click here.
Here’s a look at recent research, statistics and news that may apply to you and your business:
- Facebook vs. Google Buzz vs. MySpace vs. Twitter… Click here to see a Web strategy matrix that may help you make sense of all the chatter.
- The U.S. Department of Commerce announced that preliminary results for the U.S. outbound non-stop air market totaled 38.7 million in 2009, three percent below 2008. Click here to read the full report.
- Additional free short-term parking is now available for motorcoaches near Old Town in Alexandria, Virginia. Parking within Old Town – at Robinson Terminal and North St. Asaph Street – is available by permits that are available online and free of charge. Click here for more information.
- NTA member company Amtrak has formed a new department to pursue opportunities in new intercity high-speed rail service in select corridors around the United States, including looking into the feasibility of increasing top speeds to 220 mph.
The links in this article are not monitored by NTA staff. Any bad links, expired pages, etc. are due to the constantly changing nature of Web sites.
Click here for the Tuesday archive.