Tuesday Newsletter – Dec. 8, 2009
December 8, 2009
Volume 29, Issue 48
Tuesday’s title sponsor is Ripley’s New York
Interested in advertising in Tuesday? E-mail Kelley Burchell at kelley.burchell@NTAstaff.com.
TODAY’S ARTICLES
MONTAGE Chair Excited for Seville
NTA’s New Member Mall: See How it Benefits You
Introducing NTA’s Newest Publication Focusing on the European Market
Branson, Mo. Unveils New Admission Reseller Tax
Carbon Calculator Webinar Now Online
Free Promotional Opportunity to Serbia Through U.S. Commercial Service
DMOs: Be Part of NTA’s Grassroots Tracking Program
How Chinese Tourists Affect Business and More
Participate in a U.S.-Cuba Videoconference with U.S. and Cuban Officials
Make a Difference at NTA’s Grassroots Symposium
What’s New in Travel News
MONTAGE Chair Excited for Seville 
The 2010 MONTAGE chair is Larry Friedman from the Nevada Commission on Tourism, as announced at NTA Convention ’09.
"I’m so excited about MONTAGE. Not only is Spain an incredible destination, but this format will allow buyers and sellers alike the opportunity to expand their network and create new business outlets. In today’s market, es un oportunidad fabuloso!" said Friedman.
This event offers ALL NTA members the chance to increase their business and expand their network to buyers from all across the globe.
Watch your mailbox for more information and watch for Larry’s MONTAGE Blog to start in January! Registration for MONTAGE is open to both buyers and sellers, and sellers are also able to purchase a booth in the Business Workshop. Visit the Web site for more details.
NTA’s New Member Mall: See How it Benefits You
In the busy holiday shopping season, online shopping is crucial for businesses and consumers alike. Check out NTA’s Member Mall when you do your online shopping for all your favorite store links. When you shop a store using a link on NTA’s Web site, NTA receives a commission from your sale and all you had to do was shop!
The links go to stores like Wal-Mart and iTunes, to name a few. If you have a favorite store that isn’t listed, let NTA know and we’ll try to include it. When you click to a store using the NTA Member Mall, NTA receives a commission on all of your purchases. NTA can then use that money to further fund programs and services for members. E-mail NTA if you have any questions and shop on!
Introducing NTA’s Newest Publication Focusing on the European Market
The newest addition to the Trip Planner series, NTA’s Trip Planner European Edition, will highlight packaged travel options to European destinations and attractions. Display advertising is available for all members. Additionally, receptive and tour operators currently packaging or looking to provide tours throughout Europe also can participate with an enhanced listing.
- Circulation is 4,000, includes NTA tour operators, distribution at NTA’s international event, MONTAGE, in Seville, Spain, April 14–17, 2010, and a variety of trade shows
- Annual publication with year-long shelf life
- Online version with live links to advertisers’ Web site
- 57 percent of NTA’s tour operators package internationally
- Europe is one of NTA members’ top destinations
- Material deadline is Jan. 20, 2010
Book by Dec. 31, 2009, to receive the NTA Existing Advertiser Rate.
**Cannot be combined with any other offer/discount and not valid on previously booked insertions.
Click here to view all available sizes and pricing discounts. Contact Ashley Tabor at 800.682.8886, ext. 4273 (U.S. and Canada) or +1.859.226.4273.
Branson, Mo. Unveils New Admission Reseller Tax
Due to a recent Missouri Supreme Court decision, there are significant changes to tickets resold to any amusement, entertainment or recreation attraction located in the state.
The decision in the case (Music City Management, LLC v. Director of Revenue) means that places of amusement, entertainment or recreation selling admissions through third parties that resell the admissions should not collect and remit tax on those sales if they receive a resale certificate in good faith. The entity providing the certificate must be registered for Missouri sales tax and provide a Missouri sales tax identification number.
Any business reselling admission tickets must collect and remit tax based on the rate applicable to the location of the place for which admission is sold. The amount subject to tax is the entire sales price, including service and/or convenience charges.
The price of admission tickets, sold with other services or components, must be allocated a price based on the price the consumer paid for each. As an example:
If a reseller sells a theater ticket along with motorcoach transportation for US$60 and the reseller paid US$10 for the ticket and US$20 for the coach (per person) then the tax must be collected on the ticket at the rate of US$20 and for the transportation at US$40. In simplest terms, the tax owed is on the resale price of the ticket and not the price at which the ticket was purchased.
NTA will continue to monitor this situation and determine what can be done to reduce the accounting and financial burden for tour operators packaging product in Missouri.
Carbon Calculator Webinar Now Online
The Carbon Calculator Webinar that was held on Dec. 3, 2009, is now online. In this instructional Webinar Ted Martens with Sustainable Travel International, an NTA strategic partner, discusses global climate change, the role of carbon offsetting and carbon management and how to use NTA’s new Carbon Calculator. Find out how a Carbon Calculator works and the many benefits for your company and the world. To listen to the audio and follow along visually, click on the PowerPoint presentation then open the mp3 file.
Free Promotional Opportunity to Serbia Through U.S. Commercial Service
The U.S. Commercial Service in Belgrade, Serbia, is organizing a USA Pavilion at the 32nd International Fair of Tourism (IFT), which will take place in Belgrade, Serbia on Feb. 24–28, 2010. For more information on the fair, click here.
The pavilion will feature U.S destinations, and there is no charge to have your brochures displayed. Attractions may send 200–500 brochures for display and destinations may send 500–1000. Promotional items such as pens, postcards and DVDs will also be displayed and distributed.
Items shipped more than 45 days prior to the event (no later than the first week of January) can be shipped to the following address:
American Embassy Belgrade/FCS
5070 Belgrade Place
Dulles, VA 20189-5070
IFT is the leading tourism trade show in southeast Europe, attracting approximately 95 percent of regional market leaders. Last year, the fair had 830 exhibitors from 38 countries and attracted more than 52,000 visitors. Projections for 2010 are for more than 900 exhibitors and 60,000 visitors.
For more information, please contact Boris Popovski, commercial specialist with the U.S. Commercial Service, at +381.11.306.4752.
DMOs: Be Part of NTA’s Grassroots Tracking Program
As you know, NTA has developed a very easy-to-use online ROI/Tracking system for tour operators to report trips to their DMO colleagues. The Tracking Task Force established a Grassroots Tracking Program in which DMOs can volunteer to receive up to five operator "buddies" to continually educate on this system. If enough DMOs volunteer, we could put tracking reminders in front of every NTA operator each quarter.
Here’s what we’re asking of you:
- Volunteer to adopt five NTA tour operators as your "Tracking Buddies."
- Contact your list of operator buddies quarterly to ask them if they’ve used the ROI/Tracking system, help walk them through the system if they haven’t used it and just be a general reminder about providing this information and why it is so important.
- Sit back and watch the e-mails come in through this great new system!
If you’d like to volunteer, contact NTA Vice President of Marketing Lisa Thompson. She will follow-up with an informational kit and your list of tour operators. Then, you’ll get quarterly reminders from her about making contact with your operators.
How Chinese Tourists Affect Business and More
Just how is the influx of Chinese tourists into the United States going to affect your business now that it is an approved travel destination?
According to a report from the U.S. Travel Association, nearly 50,000 mainland Chinese residents traveled to America last year, and these visitors from China tend to come more frequently and spend an average of 23 nights. They also spend more than travelers from any other country, an average of US$7,200 each, on accommodations, air travel, dining, shopping and gaming. You can learn more information like this to help you plan new business ideas through a subscription to The Trend, NTA’s monthly research e-newsletter.
For only US$10 a month (US$120 for the year), you will have access to information that can help you grow your business, better understand your customer’s needs, target new customers and much more. Don’t worry that you’ve missed a few issues. Subscribers will receive a link each month to archives of The Trend, so you won’t skip a beat. To subscribe, e-mail NTA Vice President of Marketing Lisa Thompson today.
Participate in a U.S.-Cuba Videoconference with U.S. and Cuban Officials
You are invited to join a limited number of travel sector representatives for a U.S.-Cuba Travel videoconference on Wednesday, Dec. 16, from 2–5 p.m. EST in Washington, D.C., to hear presentations from Cuban Ministry officials and Cuban travel executives and participate in a live Q&A. This event will be immediately followed by a reception from 5–7 p.m. EST. This is not a webcast; you must be present in Washington, D.C., to participate. There is no cost for this event but space will be limited. To RSVP, contact Kirby Jones, with Alamar Associates at +1.301.520.4297.
This event will be hosted by Ambassador Jorge Bolanos, Head of the Cuban Interests Section in Washington, organized by Alamar Associates, and co-sponsored by the NTA and USTOA.
Make a Difference at NTA’s Grassroots Symposium
Attend NTA’s Grassroots Symposium on Feb. 8–10, 2010, in Washington, D.C., and participate in the industry’s premier advocacy event. However, don’t stop there — sponsor at this event, and you’ll not only have the opportunity to promote your product to those in attendance, but NTA will cover your registration fees. Plus, sponsoring at this event is a perfect way to reach NTA members early in 2010!
Click here to learn more or contact Karla DiNardo, NTA vice president of sales and sponsorship, at 800.682.8886, ext. 4232 (U.S. and Canada) or +1.859.226.4232.
Here’s a look at recent research, statistics and news that may apply to you and your business:
- Visit Britain was awarded the accolade of World’s Leading Tourism Authority Website at the 2009 World Travel Awards. Click here for the official Visit Britain release.
- Japanese travelers to the U.S. declined in 2009, due to H1N1 among other factors. Click here to read more travel statistics about Japanese travelers in 2009.
- 18–24 year olds are the group most likely to be cutting back on holiday travel expenses this year, with over 60percent saying they would spend less money this year than last year. 58 percent of 35–44 year olds are spending less money on holiday travel this year than they did in the previous year. Click here to see more holiday travel survey results.
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.