Tuesday Newsletter – Feb. 17, 2009
February 17, 2009
Volume 29, Issue 7
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
Leadership Team Continues Work from 2008, Explores New Topics
Webinar on Updates for European Visa Waiver Program Countries
Last Call to Register for the 2009 Grassroots Symposium
Deadline to Register for Best of Britain Trip Extended
Only Three Weeks Left to Advertise in the NTA Membership Directory
Main Street Tours Helps to Save Our Sites
Get Your Fam Trips Posted at NTA Online
Two Weeks Remain to Reach Religious Travel Buyers
The Wine List to Appear in NTA’s May Issue of Courier
NTA Job Center: Las Cruces CVB
Leadership Team Continues Work from 2008, Explores New Topics
The 2009 Leadership Team held its first meeting of the year with agendas focused on carrying out NTA’s strategic direction and continuing work plans developed in 2008. Topics of discussion included the format for the 2009 Annual Convention, developing best practices, continued improvement for NTA’s newly redesigned Web site and the association’s legislative agenda.
The Leadership Team, which consists of the NTA Board of Directors and eight committees and task forces, met Feb. 5-8 in Savannah, Georgia. NTA thanks the Savannah Convention and Visitors Bureau for hosting the events, as well as The Mulberry Inn for its support.
To read an overview of the committee and board meetings, please click here.
Webinar on Updates for European Visa Waiver Program Countries
There will be a free Webinar Tuesday, Feb. 24, to update travel professionals on current U.S. regulations for European Visa Waiver Program countries. Presenters from many U.S. government agencies, including US-VISIT and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, will provide updates on what travelers need to know to prepare for their visit to the United States, from pre-departure and the Electronic System for Travel Authorization through the entry and exit process.
In addition to covering ESTA requirements for Visa Waiver Program travelers, officials will focus on inbound market statistics, the deployment of 10-fingerprint collection and protecting travelers’ identities. The session also will allow time for you to ask questions.
The Webinar will take place next Tuesday at 10 a.m. (ET, United States), which is 3 p.m. (GMT, Europe) and 4 p.m. (WET and CET, Europe). To get the link to the Webinar sign-up and dial-in instructions, please send your name, title, organization, address, telephone and fax numbers to rsvp.webinar@dhsbiometrics.com by 3 p.m. (ET, United States) Feb. 23. All you need to participate is a phone line and computer with Internet access.
Additional Webinars focusing on travel from VWP countries in Asia, as well as travel from non-VWP countries, will be offered.
Last Call to Register for the 2009 Grassroots Symposium
You still have time to sign up for the 2009 Grassroots Symposium, which will take place next week from Feb. 25 to 27 in Washington, D.C. The event will include updates on legislation relevant to tourism promotion and development that is on the horizon, as well as time for Hill visits where you can meet with members of Congress and the Senate to discuss the issues.
Register at NTAonline.com or e-mail NTA Government Relations Manager Christy Cleveland to take part in this year’s Grassroots Symposium.
Contact NTA Vice President of Sales Karla DiNardo regarding remaining sponsorship opportunities and benefits or click here for additional information. Sponsorships are sold on a first-come, first-served basis so contact NTA today.
Deadline to Register for Best of Britain Trip Extended
You have one more day to sign up for the Best of Britain Product Development Trip, which is being put together by VisitBritain and its partners for NTA tour operators. Participants will see the beauty of various areas of England and attend one of Britain’s premier travel marketplaces, The Best of Britain and Ireland Travel Trade Forum.
The Product Development Trip, scheduled for March 22-29 begins in England’s North Country including dynamic Manchester and the stunning Lake District. Next up is cosmopolitan London where you will participate in the Best of Britain and Ireland Travel Trade Forum, including one-on-one appointments with key British suppliers, networking, entertainment and more. The final stop is the English countryside of inspirational Canterbury and Kent.
For more details, or to register for the Best of Britain Product Development Trip, visit NTAonline.com or contact NTA Vice President of Marketing Lisa Thompson. The deadline to register is Wednesday, Feb. 18, and this trip is limited to one representative per company.
Only Three Weeks Left to Advertise in the NTA Membership Directory
Don’t miss your chance to be part of a valuable resource, the NTA Membership Directory. There is no better way to put your company in front of so many tourism professionals all year long than through advertising in the directory, which, according to an NTA survey, is used by 84 percent of tour operators to look up company contact information and for itinerary planning.
All NTA member companies receive a complimentary basic listing in the 500-page directory, but you have the option of choosing to upgrade your membership listing and/or purchase ad space within the directory, which will be distributed in June. If you choose to purchase an enhanced listing, it will include your company’s color logo as well as highlighting and bolding your contact information.
Space deadline is March 5. Call 800.682.8886, ext. 4241 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4241 or e-mail advertising@NTAstaff.com for more information.
Main Street Tours Helps to Save Our Sites
Laurie Lincoln, CTP, and Allen Glander of Main Street Tours, members of the NTA Board of Directors and Leadership Team, respectively, presented a check for more than $2,800 to Tourism Cares Executive Director Bruce Beckham, CTP, at the recent NTA Leadership Team meeting in Savannah, Georgia.
The check represented funds collected at the year’s first Tourism Cares Save Our Sites promotion during Main Street Tours’ Tournament of Roses Parade program in Pasadena, California. Several of Main Street Tours’ NTA tour operator customers enthusiastically participated in the initiative that engaged tour patrons in helping to preserve travel experiences for future generations of travelers.
"The new Save Our Sites program is being very well received by NTA members and we’re very excited about Laurie and her clients’ participation and generosity," Beckham said. "So far, several NTA members have signed on to help us in this important mission. What a way to start the year!"
For more information on how NTA members can get involved in the Save Our Sites program, contact Lisa Schmiemann at Tourism Cares at 781.821.5990.
Get Your Fam Trips Posted at NTA Online
Do you have an upcoming Fam trip that you need to promote? If so, send that information to NTA to be added to the Member Fam page of its Web site, which includes line listings in bullet point form with details on upcoming Fams.
To get your trip posted, please e-mail the following information to fams@NTAstaff.com:
- Fam destination
- Dates of the trip
- Name of the sponsoring organization
- Contact person’s e-mail address
- Web link where more information is available
Two Weeks Remain to Reach Religious Travel Buyers
Recently, NTA and the World Religious Travel Association formed an alliance, which allows you additional ways to reach religious travel buyers and gain maximum exposure to this emerging market.
NTA members can expand their reach to this new audience through WRTA’s annual Buyers Guide, which will be published in March 2009 and distributed to 10,000 travel agents, tour operators, religious travel planners and church organizations. Additionally, NTA will include a feature story on faith-based travel in the July 2009 issue of Courier magazine.
By advertising in both publications, you have a chance to reach this targeted group through two industry-leading associations. A special offer allows you to purchase any size ad in one publication and automatically receive half off the second publication (any size ad). Space must be reserved by Feb. 27 in order to qualify for this great discount.
Please contact Kami Risk at 800.682.8886, ext. 4402 or 859.226.4402 to reserve your space or for more information.
The Wine List to Appear in NTA’s May Issue of Courier
Wine and culinary tour product will be in the spotlight in the May issue of Courier magazine, which has bonus distribution at the 2009 NTA Spring Meet in Monterey, California, and will include a preview to the event. Tour suppliers and DMOs offering wine product are encouraged to promote themselves to NTA tour operators through the following two opportunities:
- NEW: Purchase a listing in the newly created "The Wine List," which will be a paid directory of tour operators, suppliers and DMOs offering wine tours and/or product that will run with the feature story in the May Courier. Your listing will include company contact information, your company’s four-color logo and 75 words of text at a cost to NTA members of only $750!
- Purchase a display ad of any size in the May issue of Courier.
Additionally, you can take advantage of this special offer — Book a half-page ad or larger in this issue and receive a listing in "The Wine List" absolutely FREE (a $750 value). Space must be reserved by Feb. 20 to receive this offer and the material deadline is March 11.
Call 800.682.8886, ext. 4241 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4241 e-mail advertising@NTAstaff.com to reserve your space.
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