Tuesday Newsletter, Aug. 19, 2008
August 19, 2008
Tuesday Newsletter Aug. 19, 2008
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Register today to attend the 2008 NTA Annual Convention in Pittsburgh, Nov. 15-19. Whether your business needs are domestic, inbound, outbound or all of the above, you’ll find the partners you need and the business you want at NTA. Click here to learn more and to register. |
| Interested in becoming a Tuesday sponsor? E-mail Karla DiNardo at karla.dinardo@NTAstaff.com. | |
Volume 28, Issue 33
NTA EVENTS
NTA’s Wine & Cheese Reception … An Instant Classic Returns
Executive Program Available at NTA Convention
NTA Heads to Myrtle Beach and Virginia Beach for Road Shows
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Final Call for Nominations for Bob Everidge Lifetime Achievement Award
What Web Sites Do You Use for Travel Research?
Remembering LeRoy "Roy" Akins
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
Webinar on NTA’s Grassroots Network Set for Sept. 4
MEMBER BENEFITS
India and Egypt Product Development Trips Coming Up Soon
Tour Operators, Now is the Time Join NTA’s Tour20 Group
Reach the Inbound China Market via NTA’s New U.S. Travel Directory
Tourism Cares Summit a Valuable Learning Experience
Sponsorships Available for Upcoming NTA Event
NTA EVENTS
NTA’s Wine & Cheese Reception … An Instant Classic Returns
When the NTA Wine & Cheese reception was launched at the 2005 Annual Convention in Detroit, it was an instant classic. Last year, the Destination Pavilion added an aspect to this event that allowed you to combine business – shopping for new ideas at the Destination Pavilion – with sampling various wines from across the world.
The 2008 Wine & Cheese Reception, hosted by The Berkely Group, will take place on opening day at Convention, Saturday, Nov. 15, starting at 4 p.m. You will be treated to wines from event co-sponsors: California Tourism, Virginia Tourism, TOUR Illinois and IHG InterContinental Hotels Group, as well as Cheese from Hilmar Cheese Company. And, once again, you’ll have your first opportunity to make the rounds at the Destination Pavilion, which is a great way to kick-off another incredible Convention week.
If you are interested in featuring your destination’s wines at this popular event in Pittsburgh, contact NTA Vice President of Sales and Sponsorship Karla DiNardo today for sponsorship information.
Executive Program Available at NTA Convention
The Executive Program at Annual Convention gives your company or destination’s CEO or key decision-maker a chance to experience the benefits of your NTA membership. The program, which will be held Monday, Nov. 17, focuses on the value of your investment in NTA as well as the intangible benefits of your membership.
The Executive Program opens with a morning orientation session from NTA leaders that will include an overview of your association’s strategic plan, resources and benefits. Then, the executives will see the Tour & Travel Exchange before enjoying the Theatre Direct/I Love NY Luncheon. The afternoon includes free time for them to take in seminars, explore the Convention Mall or shadow you during your Exchange appointments.
To access the registration form, or for more information about the program, contact NTA Manager of Member Relations Lori Rempe at 800.682.8886, ext. 3579 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.219.3579.
NTA Heads to Myrtle Beach and Virginia Beach for Road Shows
NTA is hitting the road again this fall with stops for Road Shows in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Virginia Beach, Virginia. The casual format of the Road Shows allows members and prospective members a chance to mingle, as well as to get to know NTA leaders and staff while learning about the association’s strategic direction and upcoming events.
The Myrtle Beach event will be Sept. 18 at the Grand Dunes Resort Club with a program from 4 to 5 p.m., followed by a reception from 5 to 6 p.m. The Virginia Beach event is slated for Sept. 15, although final details are still being confirmed. Keep checking Tuesday for updated information.
If you are a member of the travel community in or near either Myrtle Beach or Virginia Beach, please be our guest at one of these Road Shows. Also, feel free to bring along an industry colleague so they can learn about the NTA community.
To register for the Myrtle Beach event, please e-mail questions@NTAstaff.com or call 800.682.8886 ext. 4298 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4298.
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Final Call for Nominations for Bob Everidge Lifetime Achievement Award
Nominations for the Bob Everidge Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes individuals who have made outstanding, ongoing contributions to NTA and its members, should be submitted by this Friday, Aug. 22, to NTA Executive Assistant Celeste Moore.
For information on the criteria and nomination process for the award, which may be presented at the 2008 Annual Convention in Pittsburgh, click here.
What Web Sites Do You Use for Travel Research?
The August NTA Question of the Month – What Web sites do you use for travel research, news, information and product development? – gives you a chance to pass along information to other NTA members about what Internet resources you consider to be valuable.
Members interested in following the dialogue or sharing their thoughts can do so by logging on to the member forums. To access the password-protected forums, you will need your member ID and password, which were included with the e-mail you received showing newsletter article headlines.
Additionally, you can share your thoughts on the other questions of the month, which dealt with the timing of NTA’s Annual Convention, rising fuel costs, green practices and tracking return on investment on leisure groups.
NTA has lost a long-time supporter and friend when LeRoy B. Akins Jr., 66, passed away Aug. 10 at his home. A Funeral Mass was held last week in Glens Falls, New York.
He spent more than 30 years in the tourism industry after starting out in 1974 with the Warren County (New York) Tourism Department. He quickly became a fixture in the New York travel industry and took a position as the Olympic tourism coordinator in 1979, just before the 1980 Winter Olympics were held in Lake Placid.
For the remainder of the 1980s and the ’90s, Akins held various positions from New York City to Albany for the state’s tourism and economic development department. He was a great ambassador who tirelessly promoted the state of New York by working with various tour companies around the world, and many people remember his signature red jacket. After 25 years with the state’s tourism program, he retired and began his pursuit as a mayoral candidate for the City of Glens Falls. He won that 2005 election, and was serving as the city’s mayor when he passed away.
Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at 26 W. Notre Dame St., Glens Falls, NY 12801. Memorial contributions may be made in his name to any of the following organizations:
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
Webinar on NTA’s Grassroots Network Set for Sept. 4
If you want to learn more about NTA’s Grassroots Action Network, sign up for a Webinar to be held Thursday, Sept. 4, at 2 p.m. (ET). The focus of the session is to help existing GAN members, state chairs/co-chairs and Congressional District coordinators learn about the role they play in helping educate legislators on key travel issues.
During the Webinar, information on the network’s structure and tips on how members can effectively deliver important grassroots advocacy messages will be shared. Participants also will learn about current issues facing the travel industry, find out how to contact elected officials, hear future GAN plans and much more.
Contact NTA’s Government Relations Manager Christy Cleveland to register and receive the dial-in and log-on information.
Additionally, if any members are attending either the Democratic or Republican Party National Convention, please e-mail NTA Director of Industry and Government Relations Matt Grayson.
MEMBER BENEFITS
India and Egypt Product Development Trips Coming Up Soon
Two new Product Development Trips are coming up and they both have the added opportunity to not only experience great destinations – Egypt and India – but also to attend top international trade shows.
The Egypt trip will take place from Oct. 30 to Nov. 4, immediately following the American Tourism Society Fall Conference in Cairo from Oct. 27 to 30. A virtual tour is available from ATS to give you more of an idea of what the show will be like.
The other Product Development Trip/trade show combination is coming up very soon. The India trip, sponsored by Akorn Destination Management, is accompanied by an invitation to attend PATA’s PTM2008 in Hyderabad, India. PTM2008 runs from Sept. 16 to 19 then the Product Development Trip kicks off in Delhi Sept. 20 and concludes there Sept. 28. Airline partner Jet Airways is offering a 50 percent discount on air fares for this opportunity.
Registration information for both of these options, as well as the Best of Bavaria and British Columbia Product Development Trips in October, can be found on NTA Online.
Tour Operators, Now is the Time Join NTA’s Tour20 Group
Members of NTA’s Tour20 Group have been working together to form stronger, more productive business entities for nearly two years now. And, due to a shift in facilitators, now is the perfect time for additional tour operators who are interested in joining the Tour20 Group to sign up.
What is Tour20? It is a group of tour operators who come together and share, anonymously, information about their company and their operations. Through sharing of not only financial data but hiring, sales and marketing and other business-related best practices, operators can set benchmarks for performance measurements and learn some great money- and time-saving ideas.
Visit NTA Online to access an FAQ on the Tour20 group, information on the new facilitators and an enrollment form. Questions can be directed to NTA Vice President of Marketing Lisa Thompson.
Reach the Inbound China Market via NTA’s New U.S. Travel Directory
By 2011, it’s projected that nearly 600,000 Chinese travelers will visit the United States annually. NTA has created a brand new publication that will provide a cost-effective way to get your product/destination/service in front of this key audience at the China International Travel Mart in Shanghai.
NTA’s U.S. Travel Directory, will be distributed at the trade/consumer show to the more than 450 Chinese travel agents who are authorized to bring leisure groups to the United States, and will be promoted to the more than 90,000 Chinese travelers expected to attend CITM in November. Additionally, a copy will be sent to the 160 tour operators approved to work with the Chinese agents through the NTA China Inbound Program.
You can choose to advertise in a variety of ways. Existing advertisers receive discounted rates for the following directory options:
In addition, all tour operators who are on the approved operator list will receive a free listing containing contact information only. These basic listings can be upgraded to include a color logo and 75-word description for USD$750 net ($1,000 net for new advertisers). The space deadline is quickly approaching, and all prices include translation into Mandarin. Additionally, no price advertising is permitted when marketing to Chinese travelers.
To learn more about NTA’s U.S. Travel Directory click here, or contact your NTA account representative at 800.682.8886.
Tourism Cares Summit a Valuable Learning Experience
In keeping with its mission to preserve the travel experience for future generations, Tourism Cares focused its 2008 Summit on providing leadership and education in key issues facing the industry. This year’s event focused on Green Tourism and, in doing so, invited its participants to use their position as industry leaders to take on a greater role to create more responsible and sustainable travel practices.
The industry came together August 3-6 at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for a few days of relaxation and education. A highlight of the Summit was a visit to Springs Preserve, an environmental facility outside of the Las Vegas strip, where the participants toured the facility and heard in depth presentations on "Living, Working and Traveling Green."
Participants also listened to a panel of diverse experts in the green tourism field that included Brian Mullis, president of Sustainable Travel International; Darren Berg, CEO of MTR Western; Robin Korman, marketing manager for Starwood’s sustainable brands, Element and Aloft; Maria Amalia Revelo, deputy manager and director of marketing for the Costa Rica Institute of Tourism; and Cathleen Johnson, director of the tourism practice at Edelman.
Sponsorships Available for Upcoming NTA Event
NTA is hosting an orientation meeting for newly approved tour operator members that are part of the NTA China Inbound Program. You can be a part of this inaugural event by sponsoring, which will give you access to some of NTA’s newest tour operator members.
Available sponsorships for the event include:
All sponsors will receive complimentary attendance for one, an insert in the registration bag, event signage and sponsorship listing in Tuesday newsletter articles promoting this event, as well as the chance to conduct a prize giveaway and collect business cards. Contact NTA Vice President of Sales and Sponsorship Karla DiNardo to secure your sponsorship by calling 800.682.8886, ext. 4232 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4232.
| To ensure that you’re doing business with an NTA member, go to the NTA Web site home page and click on either "Tour Operator Search" or "DMO/Tour Supplier Search" at the top of the page. |