Tuesday Newsletter – Feb. 10, 2009
February 10, 2009
Volume 29, Issue 6
Tuesday’s title sponsor is ITS Design & Printing
Interested in advertising in Tuesday? E-mail Kelley Burchell at kelley.burchell@NTAstaff.com.
TODAY’S ARTICLES
NTA Board Selects 2009 Advocacy Priority Issues
Leadership and Board Meeting Recaps Coming Next Week
Sustainable Tourism Opportunities and Threats
Gain Access to Chinese Travel Buyers at Upcoming Show
U.S. Commercial Service Offering China Market Overview Webinar
Nominations Sought for Pioneer Award
The New NTA Online Focuses on You
No-cost Promotion Option for Croatia International Tourism Fair
NTA Trip Planner for Student Travel is Online
Entertain NTA Tour Operators in Monterey
NTA Job Center: Las Cruces CVB
NTA Board Selects 2009 Advocacy Priority Issues
The creation of an Executive Office of Travel and Tourism and federal lands funding are two of the six issues approved by the NTA Board of Directors for priority advocacy emphasis in 2009.
Other issues noted for special attention include the need for grants and loans for state, regional and local travel and tourism development; the creation of more user-friendly visa procedures and processes; the passage of Highway Reauthorization legislation; and the re-examination of travel bans. Additional legislation to promote travel and tourism promotion and development, such as the Travel Promotion Act of 2008, will also be a priority for association activity when such legislation is introduced.
These priorities, which were developed through member survey feedback and recommendations from the Public Affairs Committee, also coordinate with the recommendations from the Dec. 16 Economic Summit.
While six issues have been designated for priority attention, NTA’s advocacy efforts will not be limited to those issues. NTA’s government relations team will continue to monitor legislation impacting state and local tourism promotional budgets and assist members wherever possible.
Leadership and Board Meeting Recaps Coming Next Week
NTA’s Board of Directors and Leadership Team and gathered over the weekend in Savannah, Georgia, for their first meeting of the year. The discussions centered on current economic conditions, the continued implementation of NTA’s Strategic Plan and prioritizing goals for 2009. A full recap of the Board and committee meetings will be distributed in the Feb. 17 issue of Tuesday.
Sustainable Tourism Opportunities and Threats
(NOTE — This is part of a series of columns by Brian Mullis, president of Sustainable Travel International, which will appear in Tuesday. Last fall, NTA announced its strategic alliance with STI that allows members to get discounts on certain STI services.)
Over the course of 2009, I’m going to define how to be "green" without spending a lot, and how to save some "green" in the process. I’d like to start by outlining the opportunities and threats related to sustainable tourism…
Opportunities
- Improve Profitability. Sustainable tourism practices lower costs through resource management, increased energy efficiency and waste reduction.
- Differentiate and Increase Market Strength. When quality and convenience are equal, conscientious consumers will always select the more eco-friendly product or service.
- Preserve the World’s Environment and Cultures. More travelers are seeking authentic experiences. It is mandatory for our industry to recognize market trends and preserve our environmental and cultural heritage for profits today and for future generations.
- Attract Talent. Sustainability is a key value of today’s new workforce. A company committed to this value holds a market advantage in recruiting this talent.
Threats
- Attacks on your image. The green movement has become part of global corporate and consumer culture. Companies that present an environmentally and socially responsible public image that is not exaggerated can build goodwill and avoid negative PR.
- Increased operating costs. Travel is dependent on energy consumption, and the costs of energy are going to continue to increase along with demand for energy. Investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency, for example, provides the opportunity to lock in fixed energy costs and reduce consumption.
- Increased Competition. Sustainability is the future. Companies that take a leadership role in this arena are less likely to get left behind.
If you have a question about sustainable practices, please e-mail me at brianm@sustainabletravel.com.
Gain Access to Chinese Travel Buyers at Upcoming Show
NTA is organizing a pavilion at the upcoming China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market, to be held April 22-24 in Beijing. This special area will help you gain exposure to 400 hosted Chinese buyers and offers a good chance to link in with this group that can help you reach the Chinese leisure travel market.
Space in the pavilion is limited and the price of a 4 square meter booth is $2,500. For more information, contact NTA’s Director of Industry and Government Relations Matt Grayson at 800.682.8886, ext. 4250 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4250.
U.S. Commercial Service Offering China Market Overview Webinar
There is still time for you to sign up to take part in a Webinar offered by U.S. Commercial Service that will provide a market briefing on China. The Webinar will take place next Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 5 p.m. Pacific time (8 p.m. ET).
The Webinar will include a market briefing, an update on the China Inbound Program and the role NTA plays, information on Chinese traveler preferences, visa information and a Q&A session at the end.
The cost to participate is $50 and you can click here to register for the session. Once you’ve signed up, you will be e-mailed the Webinar access codes.
Any questions should be directed to Tony Michalski at 909.466.4137 or Kellie Holloway at 503.326.3002.
Nominations Sought for Pioneer Award
NTA members are encouraged to send in nominations for the Pioneer Award, which 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.
The NTA Board of Directors established the award in 2005 and presented the inaugural award in 2006 to Charles "Chuck" West (posthumously). The 2007 award went to Earl Harmon (posthumously) and the 2008 awards were presented to Arthur C. Tauck, Tauck World Discovery, and Kirk Lanterman, Holland America Lines.
Any person employed by an NTA member company is eligible to make a nomination which, at minimum, should include a brief narrative (approximately 250 words) about the nominee. It is not required that nominees be NTA members. Additional information or material may be included with the narrative. Also, it is not required that nominees be NTA members.
Nominations for the award, which will be presented at 2009 Tour Operator Spring Meet in June, are due by April 3 and should be submitted to Celeste Moore.
The New NTA Online Focuses on You
One of the many new features of the new NTAOnline.com is the Members Corner. This area features photos and testimonials from NTA members, as well as the "Meet the Members" section that appears in Courier magazine.
The Members Photos section of the Members Corner gives you a place to show off your attraction or destination, or a spot where you can highlight a recent tour. You can submit photos to NTA Public Relations Manager Sara Spencer. Please provide a jpeg file with a one- to two-sentence description of the picture.
The Member Testimonial area is home to some of the feedback NTA has received. If you’d like to share stories, such as a particular member program that works well for you, a new partnership you found through NTA or an experience you had at an NTA event, e-mail Sara with your comments. Your NTA leaders, staff and colleagues want to continue to know what you think about your association. Additionally, if you’d like to get a dialogue going or have a question for your fellow NTA members, please log in to the NTA Member Forums.
No-cost Promotion Option for Croatia International Tourism Fair
As a way to help companies in the United States promote themselves to the southeast European market, U.S. Commercial Service is sponsoring a pavilion at the upcoming CROTOUR International Tourism Fair. At the event, to be held in Zagreb, Croatia, from April 1 to 5, Commercial Service will showcase and distribute promotional literature on your behalf at no cost to the predominately European attendees.
Space is limited, so don’t miss this no-cost opportunity to identify new, developing markets and promote your destination overseas. In addition to registering to participate, you will need to send 250 promotional packets and 25 press kits (optional) with photo CDs to share with interested journalists. You also can provide promotional DVDs, giveaways and destination posters. All materials are due by Feb. 15.
For a fee, Commercial Service can develop a separate Single Company Promotion for your business or organization that targets audiences built to your specifications. Also, individual booth space is still available.
For additional information, contact Travel and Tourism Specialist Dalila Uzelac or Senior Commercial Officer Pamela Ward.
NTA Trip Planner for Student Travel is Online
The second edition of the NTA Trip Planner for student travel planners is available in both printed and digital form. The specialty publication includes feature stories on sightseeing cruises and rail excursions, performance groups, attractions, theaters, museums and Washington, D.C., and you can see the online version if you click here.
The student Trip Planner was mailed to 24,500 student travel buyers, as well as every NTA member, with the February issue of Courier.
The goal of the Trip Planner publications is to introduce specific types of travel buyers, such as student travel planners and group leaders, to NTA members and help educate them about the diverse products offered by the association’s tour operator, tour supplier and DMO members. The next issue of the series is targeted at group travel planners and will be distributed this August.
Entertain NTA Tour Operators in Monterey
With a group of more than 200 NTA tour operators expected to gather for the 2009 NTA Tour Operator Spring Meet, Monterey, California is the place you’ll want to be from June 4 to 6. Considering the tour operator exclusivity of this event, NTA invites all suppliers and DMOs to sponsor and receive a complimentary registration to attend.
Meal functions are the perfect sponsorship as they give you the chance to present your product and address the crowd from the stage when all eyes are on you. Plus, by co-sponsoring a meal with another company, it becomes very affordable. In addition to receiving free registration, sponsors also get complimentary exhibit space, sponsor promotions and electronic list of attendees.
For more details, contact NTA Vice President of Sales Karla DiNardo at 800.682.8886, ext. 4232 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4232. You can click here to see a list of available sponsorships and benefits. Sponsorships are limited and sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
NTA Job Center: Las Cruces CVB
Tourism Sales Manager
Person will promote Las Cruces as a visitor destination to individuals and tour groups in order to generate Lodger’s Tax and Gross Receipts Tax to the community. The equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Marketing, Hospitality and Tourism is preferred, or related field plus three (3) years of sales experience in a CVB, hotel, or directly-related field. A combination of education, experience and training may be applied. Compensation will be $19.18 to $28.77 per hour ($39,888.93 to $59,833.39 annually). For complete job description and to apply, click here. Only applications submitted online can be accepted.
Additional questions should be directed to:
Anna Maya, Las Cruces CVB
211 N. Water Street
Las Cruces, NM 88001
575.541.2444 (phone)
575.541.2167 (alt. phone)
575.541.2164 (fax)
annam@las-cruces.org
http://www.lascrucescvb.org